Southern Railway has announced the cancellation of EMU train services in the Chennai Egmore and Villupuram section between Kodambakkam and Tambaram railway stations on February 25, from 11:00 hrs to 15:15 hrs, marking the third consecutive week of maintenance activities. A total of 44 trains will be affected by this temporary disruption, impacting key routes including Chennai Beach to Tambaram, Chennai Beach to Chengalpattu, Chennai Beach to Arakkonam, Tambaram to Chennai Beach, Chengalpattu to Chennai Beach, Kanchipuram to Chennai Beach, and Tirumalpur to Chennai Beach.
To mitigate the inconvenience caused by the cancellations, passenger specials will be operational between Tambaram and Chengalpattu, as well as Chengalpattu and Tambaram. The decision to undertake maintenance during the months of January to March is attributed to temperature control requirements, with specific temperature thresholds necessary for the work, thus necessitating daytime operations. These ongoing maintenance works, prioritizing passenger safety, are scheduled to continue until March, taking place every Sunday.
B Viswanath Eerya, Divisional Railway Manager of Chennai Division, underscored the significance of the expansion and compression processes undergone by the rail during this maintenance period. Additionally, he assured passengers that both Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) and Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) will supplement existing services to accommodate the heightened demand on Sundays, ensuring minimal disruption to commuter schedules.