Newly inaugurated Belapur-Kharkopar line faces first technical glitch

CR created a block from 5.05pm to 05.20pm and switched off the overhead wires, after which the entangled items were removed

The Belapur-Kharkopar railway line which was inaugurated on November 11, faced its first technical glitch on Monday evening, disrupting services for nearly half an hour.

Nerul-Belapur-Kharkopar railway corridor was inaugurated on November 11. (HT Photo)

Rail services were affected due to the snapping of the pantograph (which is attached to the overhead wire that provides power supply to the train) from 5pm to 5.27pm.

A Central Railway (CR) employee had attempted to remove the flowers and decorative items attached to a Kharkopar-bound train which was stationed at Belapur. However, the items touched the overhead wire and led to sparks due to which the pantograph shut down, cutting off power supply to the train.

CR created a block from 5.05pm to 05.20pm and switched off the overhead wires, after which the entangled decorative items and flowers were removed. Local train services on the route resumed operations at 05.27pm.

“A supervisor who deals with the overhead wires was removing the items from the train when some items got entangled in the pantograph. An immediate block was undertaken to remove it post which services began operating,” said a senior CR official.

The fourth railway corridor of local train services between Belapur and Kharkopar started operating for passengers from November 12. The 12-km corridor connects Nerul in Belapur with Kharkopar in Ulwe. 40 local train services ply daily, of which 20 are operated between Kharkopar and Nerul, and the rest between Belapur and Kharpokar.