CHENNAI: It was a bad start to the week for thousands of office-goers and students as suburban train services on the Chennai Beach-Tambaram and Beach-Avadi routes were disrupted on Monday.
While services to Tambaram were halted for maintenance work, a sinkhole near the railway track caused major delays on the Avadi route.
The disruptions left commuters stranded at various stations along the routes, with little to no communication regarding the technical issues.
"There was no proper information about the delays or alternative arrangements," said T Sadagopan, a resident-activist from Pattabiram, who had been waiting for a train to Chennai Central at Annanur station.
As the train services ground to a halt, passengers were forced to rely on alternative modes of transport. MTC buses were packed beyond capacity, while auto and cab drivers took advantage of the situation, charging exorbitant fares to desperate commuters.