Protesters block tracks at several stations, local train services in Mumbai badly affected

Western, central and harbour lines disrupted owing to agitations on railway tracks on Wednesday, following the call for a statewide bandh

Suburban train services on Mumbai’s western, central and harbour lines were badly affected on Wednesday afternoon, after protesters blocked trains at several stations on all three corridors.

Protesters block a train on platform no. 2 on the central line at Dadar station on Wednesday. (Bhushan Koyande/HT)

Services on the three lines are delayed by at least 30 minutes, though trains are relatively less crowded.

The disruption started on the Central Railway (CR), where protesters first staged a rail roko at Thane station around 7.45am. Railway authorities said they were cleared from the tracks within 15 to 20 minutes, but services were delayed. “A few protestors tried to disrupt services at Thane but were immediately cleared by the railway police,” said Sunil Udasi, chief spokesperson, CR.

Rail roko at Dombivli station on Wednesday afternoon.

Thereafter, till 10.30am, the CR’s main line witnessed rail rokos at Diwa, Titwala and Vasind stations, but protesters were moved quickly, and train services resumed, running 10 to 15 minutes behind schedule.

However, around 11.30am, services got hit badly between Kurla and Kanjurmarg stations as protesters blocked tracks at Ghatkopar, Vikhroli and Kanjurmarg stations. Protesters then also blocked trains at Dadar station.

The harbour line, which was completely paralysed on Tuesday, operated on schedule in the morning, but was disrupted by protesters at Juinagar and Govandi stations around 11.15am. Sources said the protest in Govandi lasted for at least 20 minutes.

RPI activists stage a protest on the tracks at Mulund station. (Pratik Chorge/HT)

The Western Railway, completely unaffected on Tuesday, was also badly hit on Wednesday morning as protesters first stopped locals at Virar station around 8.25am, and later on at Goregaon station.

Later on, around 9.55am, protesters stopped trains at Nallasopara for almost an hour. Sources said protesters again stopped a train at Virar station around 11.30am.