Cave-in near Walajabad hits suburban train services to Kancheepuram, Thirumalpur

Suburban train services to Kancheepuram and Thirumalpur from Chennai city via Chengalpattu were disrupted late on Friday due to cave-in at a section of the tracks near Poosivakkam village.The disruption of train services resulted in commuters being stranded at the Walajabad railway station, since the trains were stopped there.Shuttle servicesShuttle services were operated from Walajabad to Chengalpattu.Suburban train services are operated from Beach to Thirumalpur via Chengalpattu on a single track, similar to the ones bound for Arakkonam and Tirupati.A senior official of Southern Railway said that on Friday evening, the earth around a section of tracks near Poosivakkam village, where the construction of a subway to replace a level crossing (LC-21) was under way, caved in due to the heavy rain.The cave-in, which happened around 6.30 p.m., resulted in the stoppage of a few train services that were bound for Thirumalpur and Kancheepuram from Chennai Beach.A senior official of Southern Railway said restoration work was in full swing and would be completed within two hours.Trains divertedHowever, the train service operated from Puducherry to Tirupati has been stopped at Walajabad, and trains meant to be operated from Thirumalpur to Chennai Beach have been diverted to Arakkonam.S. Bhaskaran, a commuter who was travelling from Chengalpattu to Kancheepuram, complained that the stoppage of the train at the Walajabad railway station had forced him to walk a long distance to the bus terminus in the locality, from where he had to take a bus to reach home. Published - October 17, 2026 12:44 am IST