TRT derailed, rail services suspended between Vashi and Panvel

According to CR officials the TRT had finished maintenance work near Nerul and was returning to Kurla when the incident occurred

Mumbai: After a track relaying train (TRT) derailed near the Nerul station on the Central Railway’s Harbour line at 4:20pm on Sunday, train services on the Vashi-Belapur route–a crucial rail corridor connecting Navi Mumbai to Mumbai–were suspended from 4:30pm onwards, said CR authorities. At 9:15pm, the issue remained unsolved and a 140 tonne crane was being moved to the site.

On Sundays and public holidays, when train services are already reduced, a technical failure further disturbs the train schedule, leading to crowded platforms and trains. (HT PHOTO)

The CR had scheduled one of its regular Sunday mega blocks from 11:05am to 4:05pm between Panvel and Vashi for various engineering and maintenance works aimed at strengthening the rail system. However, officials said that they encountered a technical problem between Seawoods Darave and Nerul.

CR officials said an accident relief train reached the site, between Seawoods Darave and Nerul in Navi Mumbai, at 5:30pm and efforts to re-rail the TRT were underway, but heavy rains in the region were delaying the process. According to CR officials the TRT had finished maintenance work near Nerul and was returning to Kurla when the incident occurred.

Since the issue could not be resolved during the block, Swapnil Nila, chief Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the CR said that train services going up and down the line were suspended between Vashi and Panvel. Nila said that CR was in the meantime providing train services operating in three rail corridors along the Harbour line–CSMT-Vashi-CSMT, Belapur-Panvel-Belapur, and Thane-Nerul-Thane.

On Sundays and public holidays, when train services are already reduced, a technical failure further disturbs the train schedule, leading to crowded platforms and trains. However, rail authorities said that such maintenance mega blocks were essential for servicing rail infrastructure and ensuring safety.

During the Sunday mega block, services from Panvel to CSMTwere cancelled from 10:33am to 3:49pm and services from CSMT to Panvel/Belapur were not available from 9:45am to 3:12pm. To make up for the inconvenience, special local trains ran from CSMT to Vashi during the block. The suspension of rail services on the route impacted the 60km long CSMT-Panvel Harbour line.