Bush fire near Nerul station delays trains

Train services were disrupted on the central railway harbor line in Navi Mumbai due to a fire in the bushes near Nerul station, causing delays and overcrowding on platforms. The section was closed for 20 minutes as a precautionary measure.

NAVI MUMBAI

Bush fire near Nerul station delays trains

Local train services were affected Wednesday morning on the central railway harbor line, following fire in the bushes close to the tracks, near Nerul railway station. The delay led to huge rush on the platforms as commuters, mostly officegoers, waited for their trains.

The fire broke out near the railway crossing in sector 2 of Nerul leading to several trains stopping in their tracks, one behind the other.

Said a central railway official, “The grass and bushes near Nerul railway station sidings had caught fire. The section was hence closed from 7.30 am to 7.50 am i.e. 20 minutes as a precautionary measure.

Railway sources said that since the stabling lines were close to the fire the overhead wires power supply had to be shut.

Several commuters were forced to take buses as the trains were late by almost an hour. Said Rakesh Mistry, 40 a commuter at Nerul railway station, “We simply kept waiting and waiting and the crowd on the platform swelled. There was no one to manage it.”

He added, “Finally when the train arrived, only a few could board it after a huge jostle. The others had to wait for trains that came later. We faced delays in getting the trains. Several left the station and took buses and other transport on realing they were going to be late.”