Rail, air services take a big hit

Strong winds accompanied by heavy rain disrupted rail services in Tiruchi railway division, leading to cancellation of several trains and diversion of others from main line to chord line.

Trees uprooted by the cyclone fell on the tracks at several places. Platform shelters at Nagapattinam, Velankanni and Pudukottai railway stations suffered heavy damage even as they wore a deserted look.

It was the same situation at the international airport here. A couple of overseas flights to Tiruchi from different destinations were diverted to Chennai due to inclement weather condition at the airport on Friday morning.

Trains cancelled

The trains fully cancelled were: Mayiladuthurai- Thanjavur-Mayiladuthurai passengers (Train No. 56115/56116), Tiruchi-Mayiladuthurai passenger (Train No. 56824), Mayiladuthurai-Tiruvarur- Mayiladuthurai passengers (Train No. 56871/ 56872), Mannargudi-Tirupati Pamani Express (Train No. 17408), Tiruchi-Manamadurai Junction-Tiruchi passengers (Train No. 76807/76808), Karaikudi - Tiruchi passenger (Train No. 76840), Train No.76839 Tiruchirappalli – Karaikkudi (Train No. 76839), Karaikkudi–Virudhunagar (Train No.76837) and Tiruchi–Karaikkudi(Train No. 76831) passenger, Mayiladuthurai - Tiruchchirappalli – Mayiladuturai Passenger (Train No. 56821/ 56822)

Tiruchi-Karaikkudi passenger (Train No. 76830), Tiruchi–Rameswaram–Tiruchi (Train No. 56829 / 56830) Train No.76806 / 76805 Tiruchi–Mannargudi–Tiruchi passengers (Train No.76806 / 76805) Karaikal - Velankanni–Karaikal passengers (Train No.76813/76818) and Velankanni - Nagappattinam -Velankanni passengers(Train No. 76814 / 76817).

Trains diverted

The Tiruchi - Chennai Egmore - Tiruchi Cholan expresses (Train No. 16796/16795) which is usually operated via main line section via Thanjavur, Kumbakonam and Mayiladuthurai was diverted to run in the chord line section via Vriddhachalam and Villupuram.

The Tiruchendur - Chennai Egmore Express, which is also operated via the main line section, was diverted on the chord line section via Tiruchi and Vriddhachalam. The train was detained for over two hours at Thanjavur after an uprooted tree fell on the track at Titte near Thanjavur. The train was operated back to Tiruchi from where it ran via Ariyalur and Vriddhachalam, said railway sources.

An Erode-bound passenger train from Tiruchi suffered detention midway at Elamanur, a few km away from here after a tree uprooted and fell on the track.

Engineering staff were immediately pressed into service and the track was cleared and rail traffic retored .

The cyclonic impact led to short termination of the Ernakulam- Karaikal express (Train No. 16188) at Thanjavur Junction. The Coimbatore - Mannargudi express (Train No. 16616) and the Mysore - Mayiladuthurai expresss (Train No. 16232) were also short terminated at Thanjavur Junction.

Flights diverted

A Tiruchi-bound Air India express flight ( IX-614) from Sharjah was diverted to Kochi in the early hours due to strong winds in the city. The flight arrived here in the evening and later left for Sharjah.

An Air Asia flight (AK-25) from Kuala Lumpur with about 170 passengers on board, which was scheduled to land at Tiruchi airport at 8.55 a.m. was diverted to Chennai. After refuelling at Chennai airport, the flight landed at Tiruchi at 11.45 a.m. It left for Kuala Lumpur with over 120 passengers on board in the afternoon, said airline sources.

A Sri Lankan Airlines morning flight from Colombo arrived in the afternoon, over four hours behind scheduled. An Indigo-flight in the Kochi-Tiruchi sector returned to Kochi in the morning. It arrived in the afternoon and later left to Kochi, the sources said.