The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Torrential rain hits train services

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Nov 25, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Torrential rain hits train services

S. Vydhianathan

Breaches in Tiruchi-Villupuram section

CHENNAI: With torrential rain causing extensive breaches in the Tiruchi-Villupuram section and boulders falling on the track between Dindigul and Madurai, Southern Railway was forced to cancel services in the sector.

Railway officials said track to a length of 250 metres was washed away between Ariyalur and Lalgudi and that it was submerged in floodwaters in many places between Tiruchi and Virudhdhchalam.

This apart, water was flowing above the danger mark in many rivers in the section. The condition of the track would be known only after water recedes. The problem was further compounded by boulders that have fallen on the track between Ambaturai and Kodaikanal Road, near Dindigul.

However, the Railway operated services to Tiruneveli, Nagercoil and Thiruvananthapuram via Arakkonam, Jolarpettai and Erode.

Officials said none of the trains, which had left Chennai Egmore on Wednesday night, could reach their destinations. And no trains from the south had reached Egmore on Thursday. The trains were stranded in wayside stations. Officials hoped that services could be resumed partially from Friday, if the boulders on the track near Dindigul were removed.

It would be then possible to operate services to Chennai via Dindigul, Karur, Erode and Jolarpettai. But this also depended on the condition of the track in the Dindigul-Karur section, as water was flowing heavily in many rivers due to heavy release of water from Amaravathi Dam.

The average daily earning in the Chennai-Nagercoil sector was about Rs. 1 crore. Hundreds of workers from here were rushed to the affected places for restoration work, they said.

The following is the status of train services in the Chennai Egmore-Tiruchi-Madurai section on November 25. Trains fully cancelled: 2605/2606 Chennai Egmore-Tiruchi- Egmore Pallavan Expresses; 2635/2636 Egmore-Madurai-Egmore Vaigai Expresses. Trains partially cancelled: 6127/6128 Chennai Egmore- Guruvayur-Egmore Expresses will be partially cancelled between Egmore and Madurai.

Buses arranged

Southern Railway, in coordination with the State Government, arranged 73 buses to transport stranded passengers of various south-bound trains. The passengers were brought to Ariyalur and sent from there to various destinations as desired by them.

However, transportation by buses was not possible for passengers of Madurai bound Pandiyan Express, which was stranded at Pennadam near Vriddhachalam. The train will be brought back to Chennai Egmore by Friday morning, says a railway official here.

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