The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Suburban EMU services paralysed

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Saturday, Nov 29, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Suburban EMU services paralysed

S. Vydhianathan and P. Oppili

Photo: S.R. Raghunathan

LONG WALK: Suburban services on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram section were affected for the second consecutive day on Friday with tracks submerged under rainwater. A scene near the Egmore station. —

CHENNAI: Though the rain in the city abated to a certain extent on Friday, suburban EMU services remained paralysed, as all the three major terminals in the city - Chennai Central, Egmore and Tambaram - were inundated.

In many places, the track was submerged forcing railway authorities to suspend the suburban services.

Till 3.30 p.m., EMU services on the Tambaram–Beach section were operated between Tambaram and Kodambakkam as more than 400 metres of the track near the Egmore station was submerged in rainwater. All EMU services from Tambaram were turned back at Kodambakkam. After draining the flood water, minimum services were operated on the section.

On the Chennai–Arakkonam section, only skeleton services could be maintained due to flooding at the Avadi station.

According to a railway official, more than 45 services were fully cancelled between Beach and Tambaram in both directions and 11 services partially. On the Chennai–Arakkonam section, totally 33 up and down services were cancelled and on the Gummidipoondi section four services were fully cancelled and two services partially cancelled.

There was not much disruption of the MRTS services. The operation of mainline services from Chennai Central and Egmore stations was not affected though there was some delay in the arrival and departure of the trains, the official added.

Both Egmore and Central stations looked like islands as rainwater surrounded the stations. All pit lines, where coaches are stabled for maintenance, were overflowing with water. Pumping out the floodwater did not yield desired result as rainwater from the nearby areas continued to flow towards the stations.

But the major problem for railway authorities was the heavy release of water in the river flowing from the Kalinga dam between Tada and Sulurpet. As all shutters in the dam were opened, the water level in the river rose menacingly. Now both the main line and EMUs services were operated with caution.

Chennai Divisional Railway Manager S.K.Kulsherestha said the authorities said if the water level rose above the danger mark, train services to and from New Delhi, Hyderabad and Howrah would be affected.

Flights affected

Arrival and departure of flights were delayed at the Chennai airport for the third day consecutively owing to the rain. Five international and two domestic flights arrived late and the delay ranged between two and five hours.

Departure of three domestic carriers were delayed, which ranged from two to four hours. A couple of airlines, both in the international and domestic sectors, cancelled their flights to Chennai on Friday, sources said.

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