Services hit after coach of train derails at CST

A coach of a Panvel-CST train derailed on its arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on Sunday. No injuries have been reported.

A coach of a Panvel-CST train derailed on its arrival at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus on Sunday. No injuries have been reported.

HT Image

The derailment, coupled with Sunday’s mega block, added to the Central Railway (CR) suburban commuters’ woes as several trains remained cancelled and delayed.

Around 10.50am, two wheels of the second coach of a train derailed at platform number 2 of CST. It took nearly two hours for the railway administration to re-rail the coach. Around 12.46pm, the coach was rerailed and at 1.33pm, the coach was cleared.

More than 10 services were cancelled during this period.

The railways had announced a mega block on Mulund and Matunga fast line towards CST, and between Nerul and Mankhurd from 1am to 3pm.

Following the derailment, though the railways officials claimed they revoked the mega block, the services did not resume.

“Our maintenance staff was utilised to rerail the coach and so the mega block was cancelled. However, the mega block schedule for suburban train operations was followed,” said a railway official, requesting anonymity.

The CR mega block was operated on the Mulund-Matunga fast corridor to carry out maintenance work. Consequently, the fast trains were diverted on to the slow corridor, resulting in congestion on the route.

On harbour line, the block was imposed between Nerul and Mankhurd, as a result of which all trains between CST and Panvel remain suspended.

Commuters complained of overcrowding in trains and at stations, as the number of services operated during the mega block was much lesser than routine.

“Thane station was extremely crowded. Even on working days, we don’t witness such crowd. I understand railways need time for maintenance, but they should increase the services,” said Kalpesh Joshi, a Thane resident. ​