Train services on the Chennai–Katpadi route were affected for over an hour due to signal failure near Arakkonam railway station on Wednesday.
Southern Railway sources said the signal failure that was reported between Arakkonam and Katpadi stations around 9 p.m. resulted in suburban and long-distance trains queuing up one behind the other.
Trains from Chennai could not proceed towards Katpadi.
However, there was no disruption of train traffic from the opposite direction.
Passengers protest
A section of angry commuters squatted on the track near Arakkonam station and prevented the movement of trains towards Chennai. They demanded that the fault be attended to and train services resumed immediately.
Trains from Bengaluru and Coimbatore towards Chennai Central were affected, in addition to suburban and long distance trains from the city and towards Arakkonam, sources said.
The fault was attended to around 10 p.m. after which services were restored.
Among the worst hit were passengers travelling in suburban trains that had left the Moore Market Complex station.
A commuter in one of the electrical multiple units said that he had no option but to jump offthe train and walk several kilometres to reach a bus stop or take other modes of transport to reach home.
