Rail fracture near Arakkonam disrupts train services

CHENNAI: A local MEMU passenger train heading towards Katpadi suffered a track-related mishap near Arakkonam on the outskirts of Chennai on Friday night.Images from the site show the third coach of the nine-coach MEMU rake partially tilted after passing over a broken portion of the track.Southern Railway officials said the disruption was caused by a rail fracture, not a derailment.

A rail fracture refers to a sudden break on the track, often triggered by thermal expansion during peak summer temperatures.Such defects may go unnoticed until a few coaches have already crossed the weakened section, depending on the nature and visibility of the crack.Though there was no derailment or injury reported, the incident led to disruption of MEMU services between Arakkonam and Katpadi.Express trains continue to operate using loop lines and alternate tracks to bypass the affected section.Senior railway engineers reached the spot and track restoration was under way.