CHENNAI: Train delays have become an order of the day on various routes across the country, including the Chennai-Howrah line, as well as the Nizamuddin/New Delhi, Dibrugarh, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad routes. Since the train accident in Odisha on June 3, which claimed the lives of 294 persons and left 300 others injured, irregularities in services have become a routine affair, rue passengers. Railway officials attribute the delays to the ‘late’ arrival of trains; however, these frequent delays are inflicting immense hardships on thousands of passengers who depend on timely services.
While onboard passengers returning to Chennai miss their connecting buses and trains to other destinations, those spending two to three hours at stations for onward journeys face significant inconvenience due to food and other services. Over the past week, trains like Howrah Mail, Chennai-New Delhi Tamil Nadu Express/Grand Truck Express, and Chennai-Ahmedabad Express have experienced delays ranging from 90 minutes to three hours.
When one train experiences a delay, it affects others that share the same rake, leading to lateness. Despite having ample slack time and cleaning time for coaches, trains have been facing delays for the past two months.
S Narayan Rane, a passenger, said, “The situation is aggravated for passengers travelling to Delhi, with two daily trains bound for the capital also facing frequent delays. These trains have been heavily patronized not only by passengers from Chennai but also from various other regions in the state. As a result, passengers often miss their connecting trains to destinations like Tiruchy or Salem when the Delhi-bound trains arrive late in Chennai.”
According to a senior official from the Southern Railway, maintenance of railway tracks running through Eastern Railway and South Eastern Railway zones had contributed to the delays. However, he assured me that these delays are temporary, and efforts are underway to resolve the issue promptly.
