Chennai, December 13: For the first time in its history, the ever busy Chennai Central Station was today shut down for 12 hours to take up the final phase of developmental works.
The station, which teems with thousands of commuters round the clock, wore a deserted look as the Southern Railway authorities have rescheduled, regulated or cancelled several trains for the day.
The EMU services between Chennai Central-Arakkonam were also suspended and were operated on hourly basis from Chennai Beach to Arakkonam.
The station was closed from 0900 hrs and it would be opened at 2100 hrs tonight after developmental works, which included extension of platforms three, four and five to accommodate trains having 24 coaches, besides reconditioning of railway tracks and take up signalling work.
At present the platforms could only accommodate trains with 22 coaches.
The development works had been taken up in a phased manner at a cost of Rs 2.58 crore and the final phase of it was being implemented today, leading to totalshut down, with no incoming or outgoing trains from the station.
The timings of several incoming and outgoing trains were rescheduled and terminated at Arakkonam and Perambur.
Some of the trains were operated through Chennai Egmore Railway station. Help desks were opened at the station to guide the passengers about the rescheduling of trains and where to board them.