3 found dead on railway tracks in Mumbai amid Central Railway chaos; 80 trains cancelled

A fire in a signalling room at Kanjurmarg and a separate overhead wire fault between Mulund and Thane led to widespread disruptions

Three people were found dead on railway tracks on Monday as Central Railway’s (CR) suburban network struggled with massive disruptions that left thousands of commuters stranded for hours. A fire in a signalling room at Kanjurmarg and a separate overhead wire fault between Mulund and Thane led to the cancellation of 80 services and delays of up to 90 minutes, officials said.

As crowds swelled on platforms and inside trains, several frustrated commuters got down and walked along the tracks to reach nearby stations. (Praful Gangurde / Hindustan Times)

One of the deceased, identified as Sahil Thite, 21, a resident of Mulund Colony, was hit by an AC local train at Bhandup station at 5.39 pm while attempting to cross the tracks. Later in the day, the government railway police (GRP) confirmed that two more bodies had been found on the tracks between Ghatkopar and Vikhroli. The bodies were reportedly spotted by motormen, but the identities of the deceased had not been established till the time of going to press.

The chaos began around 9.30 am, when a suspected short circuit sparked a fire in a signalling relay room at Kanjurmarg, knocking out at least 24 signals. In a separate incident, a foreign object fell on overhead electric cables between Mulund and Thane, causing an insulator to burst on the Down line and further disrupting services.

27 oct kanjurmarg signalling failure timeline

“This is utterly poor maintenance practice by the railways,” said Lata Argade, a member of the Federation of Suburban Railway Passengers’ Association. “They should make announcements inside trains and platforms immediately, which started quite late after people started walking on the rail tracks to reach the nearest station.”

Inquiry into the signalling room fire

A CR official said a sudden power surge and heat accumulation may have triggered the fire, burning cables connected to the signalling system and knocking out signals at Kanjurmarg, Bhandup and Vikhroli. CR has constituted an inquiry committee comprising senior officials to determine the exact cause of the fire.

“A preliminary inquiry has indicated that sparking may have triggered the blaze. However, the exact cause will be established only after the committee submits its report,” said Dr Swapnil Nila, CR’s chief public relations officer.

Services restored and police investigate death

The first signs of restoration emerged in the afternoon. One line was cleared for operations at 4.10pm, followed by the Up through line at 4.46 pm. The Down slow line was restored around 5.30 pm, while the Up slow line, the last to be repaired, was cleared at 6.18 pm.

Meanwhile, Sahil Thite, a resident of Mulund Colony, was hit by an AC local train at 5.39 pm while attempting to cross the tracks from platform 4 to platform 2 at Bhandup station. Police have not confirmed whether his decision to cross the tracks was linked to the disruption.

“Thite was in a hurry to get from platform 4 to platform 2, due to which he crossed the tracks and was hit by a train on platform 3. It was a regular trespassing-related death. We have checked the CCTV recordings,” said Pravin Padavi, senior police inspector at the Kurla Government Railway Police (GRP).

The police have registered an accidental death report (ADR) and are investigating the incident.