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Hans India
13-07-2025
- General
- Hans India
Fire on diesel-laden goods train doused after seven hours, 18 wagons gutted
Chennai: A massive fire that broke out in a diesel-laden goods train near Tiruvallur in Tamil Nadu was fully extinguished after nearly seven hours of intense firefighting on Sunday. The blaze, which erupted around 5.30 a.m., gutted 18 wagons and caused major disruptions on the busy Chennai-Arakkonam rail route. The train was carrying 12.6 lakh litres of diesel in 18 tanker wagons, each loaded with 70,000 litres of fuel. All 18 wagons were completely destroyed in the fire, resulting in a loss of diesel worth approximately Rs 12 crore. Dramatic visuals from the site showed the tankers reduced to a row of charred remains. Southern Railway, in a press release, said the fire is believed to have originated in the third wagon as the train was pulling out of Tiruvallur station. The loco pilot responded by applying emergency brakes, and the station master immediately cut off the overhead electric power. However, the flames spread rapidly up to the 19th wagon, leading to derailments and extensive damage. Railway officials confirmed that the unaffected 30 wagons and the locomotive were safely detached and moved to a secure location. Fortunately, no casualties were reported in the incident. Train operations were severely impacted, with at least 12 trains running to and from Chennai Central either cancelled or short-terminated, while several others were diverted. Stranded passengers were accommodated on alternative transport arranged by the authorities, including Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) buses. Southern Railway General Manager R.N. Singh visited the accident site and reviewed ongoing restoration efforts. The DOWN line towards Bengaluru and Mangaluru via Jolarpettai is expected to be restored soon, officials said. Meanwhile, three special investigation teams led by the Additional Director General of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) have been constituted to probe the exact cause of the fire. Preliminary assessments are focused on possible technical faults or lapses in safety procedures during fuel transport. The incident has raised serious concerns over the handling of hazardous materials on Indian Railways, prompting calls for a review of safety protocols.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Residents on board with proposed Avadi terminus revamp; seek temporary relocation of bus stand
Residents of Avadi have long been requesting the redevelopment of both the railway station and the bus terminus in the area to help commuters have seamless access between them, as both transport facilities suffer from poor amenities. While the Southern Railway has begun upgrading the Avadi railway station under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme (ABSS), with the work expected to be completed by the end of this year, the bus terminus continues to reel under poor passenger facilities. Located on CTH Road, directly opposite the railway station, the bus terminus has become a key transport hub for residents travelling to the city, as well as to the southern areas — particularly Tambaram and Kilambakkam via the Outer Ring Road — and to the Poonamallee Bus Terminus. As the Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has been struggling financially to redevelop the Avadi bus terminus, the Chennai Metropolitan Development Authority (CMDA), which executed both the Koyambedu and Kilambakkam bus terminals, has come to its rescue. Slew of amenities A senior CMDA official, providing details about the modernisation of the bus terminus, for which a function was held on Wednesday (July 9, 2025), said that a three-storeyed facility would be built at a cost of ₹36.06 crore. With a built-up area of 65,000 sq. ft., the terminus will include a food plaza, shopping area, public conveniences, a water purification plant, and restrooms for bus crew. The ground floor, designated exclusively for bus bays, will accommodate parking for 22 buses at a time. The terminus will also feature a spacious waiting area measuring nearly 5,000 sq. ft., along with a timekeeper's office and other administrative offices. The CMDA official said that as parking facilities have become a mandatory amenity for commuters, with both Metro and suburban railway stations offering them, the CMDA has made arrangements to accommodate parking for 500 vehicles, including cars. CMDA Minister P.K. Sekar Babu had already announced the redevelopment of the Avadi bus terminus in the 2024-25 budget for the CMDA. The reconstruction work will be completed within two years, the senior official added. Need for skywalk While residents are happy that the bus terminus is finally being reconstructed, they are concerned that the work will proceed alongside ongoing bus operations, similar to how redevelopment is being carried out at railway stations under the ABSS. They have urged authorities to temporarily shift the bus terminus to a vacant ground owned by the Defence Department, to prevent buses from being parked on CTH Road and worsening traffic congestion. Residents argue that operating buses from a portion of the old terminus is not a viable option. Social activist T. Sadagopan said that with the State government proposing to construct a Metro rail line from Koyambedu to Pattabhiram, passing through the Avadi bus terminus, the terminus is set to become a major transport hub, similar to Tambaram. He pointed out that the railway station, located on the southern side of CTH Road, along with heavy traffic congestion and the absence of a pedestrian signal, poses serious inconvenience and danger to pedestrians. To ensure easy and safe access between the bus terminus, Metro station, and railway station, he suggested constructing a skywalk, similar to the one connecting the T. Nagar bus terminus and Mambalam railway station. K.S. Gopalakrishnan, a longtime resident of Pattabhiram, suggested that the MTC should shift a portion of its bus operations to Pattabhiram during the reconstruction of the Avadi bus terminus. A senior official of the MTC, meanwhile, said they would explore the option of shifting the bus terminus to the vacant ground located behind the current bus terminus. Non-functional escalators Avadi residents also highlighted that the escalators installed at the railway station and made operational a few months ago have not been functioning or are being switched off during non-peak hours. Yuvan Shankar, a resident of Avadi, said several commuters, including senior citizens and women with children, are inconvenienced by this.
Time of India
10-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
MTC quietly scraps Gummidipoondi bus depot plan despite fund allocation
Chennai: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has quietly shelved its long-pending plan to build a new bus depot at Gummidipoondi — a move that goes against the 2021 DMK election manifesto and a govt order that sanctioned funds for land acquisition. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now MTC says, "low frequency of bus operations," despite a daily ridership of nearly 20,000 commuters from the industrial and farming belt. The decision has sparked crictisms as the nearest MTC depots are located at Padiyanallur and Ponneri, both more than 20 km away. Residents of Gummidipoondi and its surrounding hamlets dependent on erratic services, forcing them to rely on expensive share autos and multiple indirect buses to reach Chennai and nearby towns like Tiruvallur. The project was first announced in 2013 under Rule 110 in the Tamil Nadu Assembly. Land measuring 4.7 acres in Pethikuppam village, along NH-16, was identified. After years of delay over valuation disputes — during which land cost estimates rose from 2.75 crore to 4.09 crore and were later revised to 2.04 crore after a court directive — a govt order in 2021 sanctioned funds to acquire the land. Despite this, MTC dropped the plan in April this year, even as the DMK reiterated its commitment in the 2021 election manifesto and the state transport minister stated in May that construction would begin soon. The sudden withdrawal has left local residents and welfare associations disillusioned. "It's hard to understand why a project tracked for over 10 years was dropped just months after the government itself claimed it was about to start," said S Suresh Babu, president of the Billakuppam Welfare Association. The existing bus stand, constructed on a water-retention zone, floods frequently. To address this, the local body has proposed a new town bus stand on 1.7 acres — next to the same site originally identified for the MTC depot. "We urgently need to move the facility to a more viable location," said town panchayat executive officer M Baskaran. While DMK MLA T J Govindarajan said the depot plan is still alive, MTC managing director Prabhushankar T said there will be no depot as there is no demand for it.
The Hindu
04-07-2025
- Automotive
- The Hindu
E-buses hit the road packed with features that keep in mind safety and passenger comfort
The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) had recently upgraded its fleet by inducting 600 low-floor diesel buses to make travelling easier for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Now, all eyes are on the 120 low-floor electric buses (e-buses), which were inducted into the fleet last month. With this, the MTC has advanced its desire to modernise its fleet, its concern for being environmentally conscious, and keep passenger comfort and safety at the heart of its operations. This is its first fleet of zero-pollution buses in the city, even as it is in the process of expanding the e-bus fleet. These are being operated by Switch Mobility, a subsidiary of Ashok Leyland, under a gross cost contract model. The MTC is set to create new benchmarks in passenger amenities, offering several safety and security features in the e-buses. Giving a tour of the facilities for e-bus operation and maintenance at the newly built Vyasarpadi Depot, a senior MTC official said the 12 metre long low-floor e-buses had ramps, along with separate seats for senior citizens and persons with disabilities. Each of the 39 seats comes with its own seat belt and have a dedicated charging port for mobile devices underneath. The MTC has made it mandatory for e-buses to have four closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the factory stage, along with 13 emergency switches. The e-buses with digital display boards and announcement systems will provide details such as the next destination and the route being taken, thanks to being linked to the global positioning system (GPS) machine installed in them. The MTC official said the Vyasarpadi Depot, which was meant for non-air conditioned e-buses, had a total of 32 charging units. Each vehicle can be fully charged within two hours, and for each full charge, they can be operated for up to 200 km. At present, the MTC has announced 11 bus routes for the 120 e-buses. Of these, circular routes are being operated from KKD Nagar (route nos. 2B, C33, C64). The remaining routes are Broadway to Kilambakkam (18A), Vallalar Nagar to Poonamallee (37), Red Hills (57), and Periyapalayam (57X); MKB Nagar to Koyambedu (46G) and Kilambakkam (170TX), Perambur to Manali (164E), and Thiru. Vi. Ka. Nagar to Guindy Industrial Estate (170C). While welcoming the move to include accessibility features in the e-buses, persons with disabilities have raised some concerns. Vaishnavi Jayakumar, an office-bearer of the Disability Rights Alliance (DRA), said the wheelchair space in low-floor diesel buses was better as it accommodated more types of wheeled mobility devices, and has a better grab bar. The doors not moving when someone is using the rails to board the vehicle is a definite improvement, making it easier for senior citizens. T. Sheikh Mohideen of Thoraipakkam said air-conditioned e-buses should be introduced on the Rajiv Gandhi Salai route as well. The MTC official said work to set up a bus depot exclusively for e-buses was under way in Perumbakkam, and after the facility was completed, in about a month's time, e-buses would be run on the information technology corridor too.
New Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Automotive
- New Indian Express
MTC e-buses to be run as deluxe service, won't be part of free Vidiyal Payanam ride
CHENNAI: The Metropolitan Transport Corporation (MTC) has decided not to operate any of the new electric buses as ordinary services under the Vidiyal Payanam scheme. Instead, all the 1,225 low-floor electric buses, including the 120 non-AC buses introduced on Monday and the remaining 1,105, set to be launched in two phases in the coming months, will function as deluxe services. A few months back, MTC had proposed allocating 30-35% of these electric buses (about 170-180 buses) as ordinary services to allow free travel for women, trans-persons, and persons with disabilities. The move was also aimed at boosting bus patronage, as a segment of regular commuters has shifted to two-wheelers and other modes of transport. According to official sources, MTC currently operates a fleet of 3,350 buses, of which nearly 1,550 run as ordinary services benefiting nearly 13.5 lakh women daily, out of MTC's daily patronage of 28.5 lakh. 'Nearly 45% of the fleet is being operated as ordinary buses. Introducing more such services would increase the financial burden on the transport corporation and the state government,' said an official.
