Disruption of power supply for nearly two hours on Monday morning in the train services disturbed the plans of thousands of commuters using the Mass Rapid Transit System between Chennai Beach-Velachery and the Chennai Beach-Tambaram suburban services.
Sore with the delay, R. Raman, who usually takes a train around 7.30 a.m., said he waited for a train at the Tambaram railway station for quite some time. He said the power disruption had delayed the operation of several long distance and suburban fast train services.
At the Chindatripet MRTS station office-goers having waited for more than an hour in vain left the station to use alternative means to reach their destinations. Many commuters complained that there was not even an announcement from the station officials about the reason for the delay or when the train services would resume.
A senior official of the Southern Railway said that train services were stopped because of disruption in power supply in Pallavaram for more than two hours from 4.45 a.m. to 7.25 a.m.
He said the services on the MRTS section was stopped after the first train left Chennai Beach at 4.10 a.m. and the services on the section resumed after 7.30 a.m.
An official at Velachery Station said 10 services in both directions were cancelled. Some of the ‘enterprising’ commuters with baggage on their heads and bound for Chennai Central were seen walking on the MRTS tracks to reach the Park Town station unmindful of the risk.