For smooth commute, Central Railway to run fewer trains during heavy rains in Mumbai

The authorities plan to cancel at least 350 services on days when high tide is coupled with heavy rain

This monsoon, you may not get stranded on central railway (CR) like last year, as the authorities plan to cancel at least 350 services on days when high tide is coupled with heavy rain.

Last year in August, CR tracks were waterlogged. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

CR operates 1,732 local train services daily, and 1,384 over the weekend. This year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) plans to issue a detailed weather forecast for the city. The decision on implementation of the weekend timetable (running 350 fewer services) will be taken based on IMD’s prediction.

“We will meet IMD officials next week to devise a plan for heavy rain days. If it doesn’t rain much despite a heavy rain prediction, we will restore the services. The services will be fewer on days when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) shuts schools and colleges owing to heavy rain,” said SK Jain, divisional railway manager, CR.

On August 29, 2017, heavy rain left tracks waterlogged and commuters stranded. The engines of at least 16 trains were damaged. With these trains in the way, the rest too were bunched, adding to commuters’ woes.

The plan will be implemented on an experimental basis first for the two weeks. Depending on the response, the railways will decide whether to go ahead with it. Passenger associations, however, are not convinced. “The move shows how the railway authorities have failed. When has the forecast come true? The railways should not create problems in advance by announcing a weekend timetable. It should act after examining the situation,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.