Tiruvallur, 13 July

Southern Railway on Sunday issued helpline numbers for passengers after a goods train carrying diesel caught fire near Tiruvallur Railway Station, causing major disruption to services, including several trains from Dr MGR Chennai Central, which were either cancelled or affected due to the incident.

According to officials, the fire spread to the last three wagons of the train, prompting railway authorities to suspend all EMU local train services in the Chennai–Arakkonam section as a safety measure. The Overhead Equipment (OHE) power supply was also switched off.

"In connection with fire mishap of a goods train near Tiruvallur, passengers seeking guidance/assistance are requested to contact Helpline numbers given below 044-25354151,  044-24354995," Southern Railway said in an official statement.

Visuals from the scene showed a diesel tanker on the freight train engulfed in flames, with thick black smoke billowing from the site. Fire and rescue teams, along with railway officials, were immediately deployed and efforts to douse the fire are underway.

"Due to a fire incident near Tiruvallur, overhead power has been switched off as a safety measure. This has led to changes in train operations. Passengers are advised to check the latest updates before travel," Southern Railway added.

Restoration work is ongoing, and normal services are expected to resume at the earliest.

Several trains scheduled to depart from Dr MGR Chennai Central station were either cancelled or affected.

These include the Dr MGR Chennai Central - Nagarsol Express, Dr MGR Chennai Central - KSR Bengaluru Brindavan Superfast Express, Dr MGR Chennai Central - KSR Bengaluru Double Decker Express, and the Dr MGR Chennai Central - Tirupati Saptagiri Express.

Other affected trains include the Dr MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Shatabdi Express, the Dr MGR Chennai Central - Coimbatore Kovai Superfast Express, and the Dr MGR Chennai Central – Mysuru Vande Bharat Express