CHENNAI: Chaos ensued on Saturday morning as hundreds of suburban rail passengers were left stranded after multiple Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains came to a halt on the same track due to a signal failure between Perungalathur.
Amid disruptions in Chennai Beach-Tambaram-Chengalpattu services owing to the ongoing maintenance works at Egmore railway station, the Saturday disruption affected services operating from Chengalpattu and Guduvanchery towards Chennai Beach.
Trains were halted near Perungalathur and Irumbuliyur, remaining stationary for over an hour, causing severe inconvenience to office-goers, factory workers and students.
With no immediate movement of services, several frustrated passengers alighted from the trains and walked along the tracks towards Tambaram railway station. Upon reaching Tambaram, with limited services, many were forced to wait longer, compounding the delay.
Railway officials stated that occasional signal-related delays and operational disruptions may occur until the maintenance work at Egmore is completed. They appealed to passengers to bear with the temporary inconvenience.
The signal fault was rectified after 10 am, following which the affected EMU services were gradually restored. Meanwhile, commuters alleged that special buses announced to ease the burden were not operating at the promised frequency, leaving many dependent on overcrowded trains.
Authorities indicated that additional EMU services and special buses may be introduced on the route from March 2 to manage the rush.