Tiruvallur (Tamil Nadu) [India], July 13 (ANI): Southern Railway issued helpline numbers for passengers seeking guidance after a goods train carrying diesel caught fire near Tiruvallur Railway Station in the Southern Railway on Sunday morning, railway officials said.

The fire spread over to the last three wagons of the train, leading to major disruptions in railway operations.

'Passengers are requested to plan their journey accordingly. For updates and assistance, please contact the following helpline numbers: 044-25354151, 044-24354995,' Southern Railway said in an official statement.

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Officials said that as a precautionary and safety measure, the OHE power supply was switched off and all EMU local train services in the Chennai-Arakkonam section were temporarily suspended.

Visuals from the spot showed a diesel tanker on the freight train engulfed in massive flames, with thick black smoke rising from the blaze. Efforts are on to contain the fire, officials said.

Fire and rescue services, along with railway officials, were immediately deployed and are making efforts to douse the fire. Officials stated that restoration work is in progress, and normal train operations will resume at the earliest.

'Due to a fire incident near Tiruvallur, overhead power has been switched off as a safety measure. This has led to changes in train operations. Passengers are advised to check the latest updates before travel,' Southern Railway said in an official statement.

Several trains, including those scheduled to depart from Dr MGR Chennai Central station, were cancelled or affected.

This includes the following trains: Dr MGR Chennai Central - Nagarsol Express, Dr MGR Chennai Central KSR Bengaluru Brindavan Superfast Express, Dr MGR Chennai Central - KSR Bengaluru Double Decker Express, and Dr MGR Chennai Central Tirupali Saptagiri Express, all scheduled to depart.

Dr MGR Chennai Central, Dr MGR Chennai Central-Coimbatore Shatabdi Express, scheduled to leave Dr MGR Chennai Central, Dr MGR Chennai Central Coimbatore Kovai Superfast Express, scheduled to leave Dr MGR Chennai Central and Dr MGR Chennai Central - Mysuru Vande Bharat Express, the Southern Railways said. (ANI)