A high-tension electric line near Kovilpatti snapped twice on two consecutive days leading to disruption of rail traffic for several hours. Passengers were stranded due to the disruption.
Following heavy rain in Kovilpatti on Monday, the line, located about two km from the Kovilpatti railway station on the way to Sattur, got snapped after a roof of a commercial building gave away due to gusty winds and fell on the line. As a result, the Tirunelveli Dadar and Jammu Tawi Express trains were stationed at Kovilpatti. The former was hitched to a diesel engine to pass through the stretch while the latter was running on a diesel engine.
Meanwhile, Nagercoil-Coimbatore, Tuticorin-Mysuru and Chennai-Guruvayur Express trains were halted at Sattur, Kumarapuram railway stations and Thulukkapatti in Virudhunagar district respectively. After railway engineers and other staff temporarily restored the line around 1 a.m., all trains passed through the stretch at less than 30 kmph. However, when Anantapuri Express passed through the stretch at high speed on Tuesday morning, the line fell for nearly three km.
Consequently, Tirunelveli-Erode Passenger, Nagercoil-Mumbai Express, Chennai-Guruvayur Express and Nagercoil-Kacheguda Express were hitched to a diesel engine and taken to Sattur.
Similarly, Mysuru Express from Bengaluru to Thoothukudi, Tiruchi-Thiruvananthapuram Intercity Express and Antyodaya Express from Tambaram to Tirunelveli had to be hauled using a diesel engine from Sattur to Kovilpatti.
The line was restored at around 7 p.m. and train crew were instructed to pass through at speed less than 30 kmph.
