Five south-bound express trains were delayed owing to a fracture that developed on the railway track in Dindigul-Madurai section near Othakan Bridge on Sunday.
Nellai Express, Kanniyakumari Express, Podhigai Express, Pandian Express and Chennai-Tirunelveli Suvitha Express trains were delayed by an hour.
Railway employees found the crack on the track after Ananthapuri Express crossed the spot. A seven-member technical team inspected the spot, carried out temporary patch work and allowed the other trains to cross the spot.
Loco and electric pilots were advised to cross the spot at a speed of 20 km per hour. Normally, all trains going towards Madurai will pick up speed only from this point.
Later, a 14-member team worked for more than seven hours to cut, remove a six-foot-long damaged portion of the track and replace the rail. The crack was due to erratic climatic conditions, said the technical team members. North-bound trains from Madurai, however, were running as per schedule.