Railways blame drunk auto driver for EMU mess

For the second time in four days, suburban train commuters on Wed-nesday had a harrowing experience on the Tambaram-Beach section, after Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) services were disrupted for about an hour.

While a railway official attributed it to a drunk auto rickshaw driver, who created a ruckus on the track at a railway gate, the Government Railway Police (GRP), on the other hand, blamed it on signals on the blink.

According to eyewitnesses, the number of passengers in intermediate railway stations began to pile up as the scheduled services were affected around 3.45 pm.

Commuters at Saidapet railway station suffered a lot, with the authorities failing to announce the delay in trains through the Public Addressing System (PSA).

They pulled up their socks only after several passengers approached the Station Ma-ster’s office, seeking an explanation. As the first train arrived, people were seen rushing to board it, leading to chaos.

When contacted, an official with the Public Relations Office of Southern Railway claimed that the unexpected disruptions were caused due to an auto driver, who refused to move his vehicle away from the track between Chromepet and Pallavaram railway stations. “We sought police intervention to remove the troublemaker and his vehicle, which affected the movement of trains for about an hour,” the official added.

On the contrary, an inspector with Tambaram GRP claimed that no such incident was reported.

Disputing the claims of the railway official, the inspector stressed that the  disruptions were due to signal failure.

“We have not come across any alcoholic driver creating a scene on the track. It was a clear case of erring signals,” he said.

It may be recalled that a trip in power supply in the Overhead Equipment (OHE) running across the Tambaram-Beach section, spoiled the travel plans of passengers on Sunday morning.