Incessant rainfall throws Mumbai train services out of gear, 900 trains cancelled on CR

Mumbai: Just over a week after union railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw visited Mumbai and reviewed the monsoon preparedness, train services, especially on the Central Railway (CR) were thrown out of gear on Monday morning due to a heavy downpour. CR officials said heavy rains of around 300mm from midnight to 6 am on the night of July 7/8 led to the cancellation of almost 900 services.

Bhandup, Kurla and Chunabhatti recorded heavy waterlogging on tracks that disrupted the operations. At around 6.30 am, there was waterlogging between Bhandup and Nahur stations. “Bhandup was the new spot for waterlogging on the rail lines. We had not placed water-draining pumps nor had water-proofed the track points. There seemed to be some issue with the culverts from the city end that were not letting the water flow out easily,” said a CR official.

Water levels at Bhandup touched almost eight inches, making it dangerous for trains to ply. Between 8.30 am and 10.30 am, the fast tracks on the mainline were shut on the CSMT-Thane route, which then resumed with speed restrictions. “Extreme inundation of water at Chunabhatti led to the suspension of train services between Wadala and Mankhurd stations. By 11 am, trains on the Harbour Line were running between Panvel-Mankhurd and CSMT-Wadala Road/Goregaon,” said another CR official.

The Western Railway fared much better with less waterlogging on Dadar-Matunga Road stretch that led to delays in trains by 15-20 minutes in the morning hours.

Nandkumar Deshmukh, a Thane resident and president of Federation of Suburban Rail Passengers Association said Monday’s situation exposed the tall claims made by the civic and railway authorities on monsoon preparedness. “I didn’t leave home because we came to know there was heavy crowding at Thane railway station due to delays. However, we wonder what kind of cleaning activities the railway and civic authorities actually do when it leads to waterlogging.”

CR engineers, however, retorted stating that rail lines can take up to 100mm of rain and it poured over three times more. The passengers on long-distance trains were provided with water, food and all assistance required. Authorities said they ensured these trains remained at platforms and not in mid-sections.

Thane station too saw chaos as commuters faced heavy disruptions. Waterlogging in the Diva area led to several trains being delayed. Commuters were visibly agitated due to the lack of announcements on the railway 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 arrived on the platform at 8 am, intending to reach Byculla by 10 am. However, I only managed to board the train by 10 am, and I reached the office at 12:30 pm. Since I couldn’t take leave from work, I had to reach the office no matter what. Due to overcrowding, some people even had trouble breathing at the station.”

with inputs from Anamika