Chennai, Jul 13, 2025: A freight train carrying diesel caught fire near Tiruvallur in northern Tamil Nadu early Sunday morning, disrupting train services along the vital Chennai–Arakkonam route, Southern Railway confirmed.
While no casualties were reported, the blaze engulfed 18 wagons and led to the derailment of several coaches. The incident, which occurred around 5:30 AM, caused thick plumes of smoke to rise over the area, prompting swift deployment of fire tenders.
The train was en route from Chennai Harbour to Walajah Road Siding (Walajabad) when the fire was first noticed in the third wagon. The loco pilot immediately applied emergency brakes, and the Station Master at Tiruvallur cut off the overhead power supply to prevent further damage. Despite the efforts, the flames spread up to the 19th wagon before being brought under control.
Southern Railway stated that 30 unaffected wagons and the locomotive were successfully detached and isolated, while four trailing wagons were removed from the incident site.
Evacuations and Alternative Arrangements
As a safety measure, residents living near the accident site were evacuated and moved to shelters. State Minister S. M. Nasar visited the site with officials to assess the situation.
To assist stranded passengers, the state transport corporation operated over 170 special buses. Local EMU train services on the Chennai–Arakkonam section were suspended, and multiple express trains were cancelled, diverted, or short-terminated:
-
12 express trains to/from Chennai Central were cancelled.
-
8 express trains were cancelled.
-
5 trains were diverted.
-
8 trains were short-terminated.
-
Several services were rescheduled.
Investigation Underway
Senior railway officials, along with personnel from the NDRF, district administration, and Fire and Rescue Services, are overseeing rescue and restoration operations. The exact cause of the fire remains under investigation, officials said.
