Track fracture delays trains, angers passengers

The passengers who had gathered near the tracks had to be evicted by Railways Protection Force Personnel — Photo: V. Ganesan

Tense moments prevailed in Royapuram on Saturday when hundreds of rail passengers alighted from a train and gathered on the tracks near Royapuram railway station.

This was after train services were disrupted due to track fracture.

According to railway officials, a track fracture was found near Port Railway station.

Hence, EMU services were affected between 7.45 a.m. and 9.15 a.m. Five trains heading to Beach railway station were diverted to Moore Market Complex.

‘Perennially late’

But commuters, who were unaware of the reason when trains were stopped at Royapuram railway station for a while, began getting down.

They got down on the railway tracks and the Railway Protection Force personnel had to evict them. “The trains are always late. The railways have to take appropriate action and solve this problem at the earliest,” said S.Raju, a commuter who was stranded at Royapuram Police Station.

Abdul Haleem, a resident of Washermanpet, said that at around 8 a.m., he saw hundreds of commuters standing in the railway station. “When I enquired, they said that all trains were delayed and they did not know the reason for it,” he said.

S. Majeed, another commuter, said that he was on his way to meet a friend who was leaving the city for higher studies. “I was supposed to meet him near Beach Station before 9 a.m. As I was stranded in Royapuram, I could not meet him,” he said.

Senior railway officials told that train services resumed after 9.15 a.m.