CHENNAI: Train services on the Chennai Egmore-Tambaram section will face major disruptions for three to four days from Thursday, as the railway undertakes non-interlocking work to link the newly constructed 4.3km broad-gauge line between Chennai Beach and Egmore with the Egmore yard. Suburban train services will be affected for six hours on Sunday (March 9).
Meanwhile, ahead of the safety trial scheduled to be conducted by the commissioner of railway safety (CRS) in the next few days, the electrical inspector general (EIG) of Southern Railway will inspect the fourth line between Chennai Beach and Egmore on Thursday. The new line, developed at a cost of Rs 279 crore, is part of the plan to convert Tambaram into a third terminal for Chennai. This line will enable the railways to operate more trains to North India via Beach and Gudur from Tambaram.
Official sources said that Somes Kumar, principal chief electrical engineer (PCEE) of the zonal railway, is the de facto EIG for conducting the inspection of the track electrification before the CRS inspection begins. “A high-speed AC trial run will be conducted between 10am and 2.30pm on the Chennai Beach-Egmore section. Once the EIG clears the track, the CRS will conduct its inspection. Accordingly, the track will be opened for traffic soon,” said an official.
The non-interlocking work involves connecting the newly laid fourth track to the Egmore railway yard and establishing crossovers between the new and existing tracks at both ends - Egmore and Tambaram. As part of the work, the entire signal and telecommunication network will be blocked from 5.10am to 8.10am between March 6 and 9, leading to train movement restrictions at Egmore from 8.10am to 4.10pm.
Except for a few services, most trains will operate from Egmore based on the station master’s instructions.
Train services affected
Trains arriving from Karaikudi, Mandapam, Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi, and other locations will be short-terminated at Tambaram, Chengalpattu, or Mambalam.
The Pallavan Express from Karaikudi will be short-terminated at Tambaram and will be cancelled between Chennai Egmore and Tambaram on March 6 and 7.
The Charminar Express from Hyderabad bound for Tambaram will be short-terminated at Chennai Beach on March 8.
Eight local trains running from Chennai Beach to Chengalpattu/Thirumalpur/Arakkonam between 12.30pm and 2pm will be cancelled between Chennai Beach and Tambaram on March 6 and 7. These trains will operate only from Tambaram towards Chengalpattu/Kancheepuram