Mumbai’s harbour line services disrupted during peak hours; trains running 15 min late

Commuters in part of the eastern suburbs and Navi Mumbai struggled to get to work on time after a signalling problem was reported at Chembur

Scores of Mumbai commuters, already hassled by the Ola-Uber drivers’ strike, had to also contend with disruption on the Central Railway’s (CR) harbour line on Monday morning, with trains running more than 15 minutes behind schedule.

There were large crowds at stations on the harbour line. Here, people cross tracks at Vashi. (Bachchan Kumar)

The harbour line, which ferries an average of 10 lakh commuters every day and provides connectivity to the eastern suburbs and Navi Mumbai, was disrupted after a snag in the signalling system was reported at Chembur around 8.25am; both the Up and Down lines were affected by the snag.

The disruption during the morning peak hours led to huge crowds on trains and stations on the harbour line.

Sachin Bhujbal, a Navi Mumbai commuter, said his train got stuck a little before pulling into Chembur station for a long time. “I will be late reaching office on the first day of the week,” he said. A woman commuter from Belapur, who did not wish to be named, said the platforms were overflowing with people waiting for trains at Chembur station.

The CR spokesperson could not be reached for comment, but railway officials said their staff was already at the spot. The snag was fixed and services were restored by 8.50am, said an official, requesting anonymity.