Thu Sep 04 16:02:11 UTC 2025: Here’s a summary of the text and a rewritten news article:

**Summary:**

Due to a failure of the intermediate block signal (IBS) at Samudram between Kolathur and Manaparai railway stations, four express trains, including two Vande Bharat Express trains headed to Madurai, were delayed by up to an hour on Thursday night. The issue was compounded when the locopilot of one train was unable to contact the Station Master due to a faulty signal post telephone.

**News Article:**

**Train Delays Hit Madurai Routes After Signal Failure**

**Madurai, India – September 4, 2025** – Commuters faced significant delays on Thursday night as a signal failure impacted several express train routes to Madurai. Four trains, including two high-speed Vande Bharat Express services, experienced delays of up to an hour due to an issue with the intermediate block signal (IBS) at Samudram, situated between Kolathur and Manaparai railway stations.

The disruption began when the locopilot of the Mumbai Lokmanya Tilak-Madurai weekly superfast express (Train No. 22101) noticed the IBS malfunction. Compounding the problem, attempts to contact the Kolathur Station Master were unsuccessful as the railway department’s signal post telephone was out of order.

“With no immediate instructions, the locopilot proceeded at a restricted speed of 8 kmph as per protocol,” a railway source confirmed. The slow progress of this train caused knock-on delays.

The Chennai Egmore-Tirunelveli Vande Bharat Express was held up at Kolathur railway station for over an hour. The Chennai-Egmore-Madurai Vaigai Express and the Bengaluru-Madurai Vande Bharat Express were also affected.

Railway officials are investigating the cause of the IBS failure and the faulty telephone line. Services are expected to return to normal as soon as the repairs are completed.

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