Signal error by staff sends local train towards occupied platform at CSMT station

Signal error by staff sends local train towards occupied platform at CSMT station

Mumbai, A wrong signal given by railway staff caused a local train to deviate to a different platform at CSMT station in Mumbai before it halted some distance away from another train on Tuesday afternoon, officials said.

Signal error by staff sends local train towards occupied platform at CSMT station

The incident, which occurred at 3:15 PM, affected services on the main line of Central Railway, causing delays.

The station master has been suspended following the incident, said a senior official.

He said a Badlapur-CSMT local train was mistakenly given the signal to proceed to platform number 5, which was already occupied by a train slated to depart for Khopoli, instead of platform number 4 at the busy terminus.

Central Railway's Chief Public Relations Officer, Swapnil Nila, said the train crossed CSMT's home signal, located about 270 metres from the platform, and stopped at the internal home signal, which was red.

"There was adequate separation between the two trains. The CSMT internal home signal for suburban platforms was at red, and the motorman stopped the train accordingly," Nila said, adding that the distance between the Badlapur train and the platform was about 130 metres.

According to railway officials, the train was routed to an occupied platform after it was given an incorrect signal.

The Badlapur local train was backed up to the home signal with the station manager's authority and was then brought into platform number 4 at around 3.48 pm.

The incident briefly affected operations on the main line. Services resumed after the train was reversed.

"The suburban local was backed, and services have resumed," Nila told PTI, adding that operations from platforms 5 to 8 were temporarily suspended.

This is the second consecutive day that services on the main line have been disrupted. A day earlier, an empty coach of a local train derailed near Dombivli station in Thane district.

Services on the main line were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes during the morning peak hours and are likely to face delays during the evening peak as well.

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