Train cancellations trip travel plans of many
Services Hit As Bridge Built In British Era Develops Crack
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Chennai:25.12.2021
Holiday travel plans of several people went for a toss after Southern Railway cancelled many trains from Chennai to Coimbatore, Bengaluru, Mangalore, Vellore, Mettupalayam, Erode, Yelagiri, Thiruvananthapuram on Christmas eve after a bridge on Arakkonam-Katpadi section developed a crack on one of its pillars.
The trains will be suspended till Sunday as repairs to the British-era bridge built in 1865 across Ponnai River are likely to take more time.
The disruption has come at a time when the services were fully booked for weekend travel. More than 20,000 passengers are likely to be affected because of the disruption.
As people searched for alternative options, air fare touched ₹9,000 to ₹11,000 to Kochi, ₹8,200 to Thiruvananthapuram, ₹3,500 to ₹9,000 to Bengaluru and ₹3,500 to ₹9,500 to Coimbatore for travel today (December 25).
Railways had sent out messages of cancellations and diversions to those who booked tickets online.
"The recent cyclones that hit Tamil Nadu in November 2021 and the resultant floods caused havoc to the bridge. A technical expert team from Structural Engineering Research Center (SERC-CSIR) along with railway engineers inspected the bridge to find ways to repair it at the earliest", said an official release.
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