Six passenger trains were temporarily halted along routes in the Chelyabinsk region, a situation confirmed by the representative office of the South Ural Railway and reported via a Telegram channel. The disruption drew attention to several services operated by the Southern Urals branch of Russian Railways, including trains Adler to Nizhnevartovsk and Kunashak to Muslyumovo, both experiencing noticeable delays as crews worked to address the snag on the tracks. In particular, the Adler – Nizhnevartovsk service and the Kunashak–Muslyumovo section saw trains pause while engineers and dispatchers coordinated a safe return to regular operation.
According to the Southern Urals branch, specific trains reported time losses: No. 346 on the Adler–Nizhnevartovsk route and No. 346 continuing along the Kunashak–Muslyumovo corridor were delayed. Trains No. 332 on the Ufa–Novy Urengoy line and No. 331 on the Novy Urengoy–Ufa route also experienced slowdowns. Additional delays affected No. 122 running from Orenburg to Yekaterinburg and No. 146 on the Chelyabinsk–St. Petersburg flights. The average delay clocked in at approximately two hours and twenty-seven minutes, with some trains showing latency from eight to two and a half hours depending on the segment and the time of day. Separately, suburban train No. 6256 on the Chelyabinsk–Kamensk-Uralsky line reported a longer delay, extending to nearly seven hours.
Railway operators announced that passenger comfort would be preserved despite the interruptions. For No. 331, meals would be served in Chelyabinsk, while trains No. 346, 122, and 332 would provide meals in Yekaterinburg as the service resumed. Railway officials also stated that a controlled temperature regime would be maintained throughout the wagons to ensure passenger well-being during the delay period. Fans and heating systems were checked to sustain a comfortable cabin environment, and on-board staff remained available to assist travelers with information and basic needs.
The incident is part of a pattern where delayed services occasionally arise due to technical faults or operational constraints, with reports indicating earlier similar disruptions including a passenger train that became stuck in a field near Chelyabinsk for five hours after a breakdown. In another instance, the Lastochka service was briefly halted in cold conditions due to a power outage, leaving passengers stranded on the line for a period of time. These occurrences underscore the importance of robust contingency plans, real-time communications, and passenger support during outages.