Incessant rains disrupt train services, 900 trains cancelled on CR | Mumbai News

Mumbai: Just over a week after Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Mumbai to review monsoon preparedness, train services, especially on the Central Railway (CR), were disrupted on Monday morning due to heavy rains. CR officials said heavy rains of around 300 mm from midnight to 6 am on the intervening night of July 7-8 led to cancellation of nearly 900 services.

Bhandup, Kurla and Chunabhatti recorded heavy flooding on the railway tracks, disrupting operations. Around 6.30 am, there was flooding between Bhandup and Nahur stations. “Bhandup was the new waterlogging point on the railway tracks. We had not installed water pumps or waterproofed the points. There seemed to be a problem with the culverts on the city side which were not allowing water to flow away easily,” a CR official said.

The water level in Bhandup reached nearly 20 cm, making train movement unsafe. Between 8.30 am and 10.30 am, the express tracks of the main line were closed on the CSMT-Thane line, which later resumed with speed restrictions. “The extreme flooding in Chunabhatti led to suspension of train services between Wadala and Mankhurd stations. At 11 am, Harbour Line trains were running between Panvel-Mankhurd and CSMT-Wadala Road/Goregaon,” another CR official said.

The Western Railway is faring much better with less congestion on the Dadar-Matunga route which led to train delays of 15-20 minutes in the morning.

Nandkumar Deshmukh, a Thane resident and president of the Federation of Suburban Train Passengers Association, said Monday’s situation has exposed the wild claims of civic and railway authorities about monsoon preparedness. “I did not leave my home because we came to know that there was a lot of crowd at Thane railway station due to delays. However, we wonder what kind of cleaning activities the railway and civic authorities are actually carrying out when it leads to waterlogging.”

CR engineers, however, countered that the railway tracks could receive up to 100 mm of rain and that the rain was three times higher. Passengers on long-distance trains were given water, food and all necessary assistance. Authorities said they were ensuring that these trains remained on the platforms and not in the middle of the tracks.

Thane railway station was also the scene of much chaos, with commuters facing severe disruption. The flooding in the Diva area led to the delay of several trains. Commuters were visibly agitated due to the lack of announcements on the station platform. During peak hours, the platforms were so crowded that there was hardly any space to stand.

Valaku Mhatra, 55, who works in a government office, said, “I reached the platform at 8 am, intending to reach Byculla by 10 am. However, I managed to board the train only at 10 am and reached the office at 12.30 pm. Since I could not take leave, I had to reach the office no matter what. Due to the overcrowding, some people were even struggling to breathe at the station.”

with contributions from Anamika