Upset over dysfunctional AC, passengers of Tambaram Nagercoil SF Express strike at Chengalpattu station

CHENNAI: Angered over dysfunctional air conditioning in their coach, the passengers of B1 carriage of the Tambaram Nagercoil Super Fast Express grabbed the safety chain and halted the train at Chengalpattu railway station on Wednesday night. This incident led to commotion at the Chengalpattu station.

The passengers of B1 coach encountered issues with the AC right from the start after the train left from Tambaram at its scheduled time of 7:30 PM yesterday.

Despite assurances from railway staff that the AC would be fixed within five minutes of departure, the problem continued even as the train reached Chengalpattu.

Frustrated by the lack of ventilation as windows were closed, the passengers pulled the alarm chain in their coach and stopped the train. They then got out onto the platform and started protesting. 

Railway Security Force officials arrived at the spot and tried to calm the passengers who refused to budge until the air conditioning was restored or seats were allocated in coaches with functional air conditioning. 

However, after over half an hour, railway engineers and staff at Chengalpattu station managed to repair the AC in the affected coach.

Following this, the striking passengers reboarded the train and resumed their journey. 

The strike delayed the train's journey by around 45 minutes.

The Tambaram Nagercoil SF Express usually departs from Tambaram to Nagercoil every night at 7:30 PM, passing through Chengalpattu, Villupuram, Tiruchy, Madurai, and Tirunelveli.