Chennai: Hundreds of commuters were stranded when suburban train services between Chennai Beach and Tambaram were disrupted on Saturday evening. An internet cable fell on the overhead equipment (OHE) line between Saidapet and Guindy railway stations.Railway officials said a loco pilot noticed an internet cable dangling over the 25kV OHE that supplies power to suburban trains. Power was immediately cut off, and a team rushed to remove the cable: there was a risk of electrocution if anyone came in contact with the cable that was touching the high-voltage line. This caused a delay of nearly 40 minutes. Services were restored after 5.30pm following safety checks.Dayanand Krishnan, a resident-activist, said, “Most internet cables are illegally installed by private operators. Govt must implement a standard operating procedure. With cables dangling at Mambalam and St Thomas Mount stations, this problem is likely to recur.”Southern Railway chief public relations officer Senthamil Selvan said, “Southern Railway has not authorized internet cables on railway premises. We will remove the unauthorized cables soon.” TNN
