MUMBAI: After two days of severe disruption caused by heavy rainfall in Palghar district, commuters on Western Railway’s 60-km Virar-Dahanu suburban corridor have accused the railway administration of failing to put in place an effective contingency plan, leaving thousands stranded amid cancellations, overcrowding and inadequate communication.
On Friday, the Virar-Dahanu Rail Passenger Association (VDRPA) submitted a formal representation to Western Railway, highlighting the hardship faced by daily commuters and demanding immediate measures to ensure uninterrupted suburban services during emergencies. The letter speaks about the difficulties faced by commuters on the Dahanu-Virar stretch due to the waterlogging episode that led to the cancellation and short-termination of suburban, shuttle and long-distance trains.
The disruption began on Thursday after the downpour in Palghar and neighbouring Gujarat led to waterlogging near Bridge No 203 between Gholvad and Umargam Road. There was also an issue between Dahanu and Vangaon railway stations.
Irate commuters pointed out that instead of increasing suburban services to absorb the stranded passengers, Western Railway cancelled several shuttle services operating between Virar, Dahanu Road and Surat. ‘It is important to note that several of these shuttle and passenger trains have 20-plus coaches, and their cancellation created a cascading effect, leading to extreme overcrowding in suburban services,’ states the VDRPA letter. A member of a passenger pointed out that the red alert had been announced well in advance, and Western Railway should have made arrangements for special local trains.
Local commuters have demanded that Western Railway arrange for additional local train services between Dahanu and Churchgate. “There is a need to establish a proactive contingency mechanism for the Dahanu-Virar section during major disruptions, adverse weather and waterlogging. Also, they should consider increasing the number of 15-car services on the Dahanu-Virar section,” said Palghar resident N Nayak.
{{/usCountry}}Local commuters have demanded that Western Railway arrange for additional local train services between Dahanu and Churchgate. “There is a need to establish a proactive contingency mechanism for the Dahanu-Virar section during major disruptions, adverse weather and waterlogging. Also, they should consider increasing the number of 15-car services on the Dahanu-Virar section,” said Palghar resident N Nayak.
{{/usCountry}}The Western Railway authorities, on the other hand, stated that on July 24, they operated more train services from Dahanu. “We were operating 17 services of 15-car trains on the Dahanu-Churchgate route,” said an official. “The issue was not about running more trains. The cancellation and short-termination of trains was a safety measure, given that water levels were inching towards the danger mark.”
The train schedule disruption also created chaos at Bandra Terminus, Borivali, Surat, and Dahanu railway stations where hundreds of passengers queued up outside enquiry and ticket counters after reaching the station only to discover that their trains had been cancelled, diverted or short-terminated. On Friday a few trains to Gujarat were cancelled.
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