Mumbai Commuters Take To Walking On Tracks To Reach Office After Local Train Service Fails | WATCH

Mumbai commuters took to walking on railway tracks to reach their offices after local train services failed on Wednesday (July 24). Fast trains were hit after a bamboo structure fell on an overhead wire between Sion and Matunga stations, but services were restored after an hour.

Due to the delay, many passengers chose to get off the stationary local trains and walk along the tracks. According to officials of the Central Railway, local train services on the main line of the Mumbai suburban network were disrupted after a bamboo structure fell on an overhead wire between Sion and Matunga stations. As a result, the fast local train services remained held up between these two stations for almost an hour, causing hardships for office-goers and others.

Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said, “A bamboo structure erected around a building adjacent to the railway line fell down on the UP fast (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-bound) line between Sion and Matunga stations at around 7.25 am. Due to the incident, the fast local train services on the Main line were held up as they had to switch off the power supply to the overhead wire for removing the bamboo fallen on it. Services on this line were restored at 8.20 am.”

Local trains are considered lifelines of Mumbai. More than 70 lakh commuters use the services operated by the Central Railway and the Western Railway. The local trains operated by the Central Railway ferry about 35 lakh suburban commuters everyday through 1,810 suburban services on four corridors namely the Main line, the Harbour line, the Trans-Harbour line and the Belapur-Uran line.

The IMD, meanwhile, sounded a red alert predicting extremely heavy rainfall over central Maharashtra on July 23 and 24, with moderate to heavy rain (yellow alert) is likely in the city and suburbs on Wednesday. An orange alert has been issued for Thane, with a possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall. Taking note of the alert, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) has advised residents to step out only if necessary.

(With PTI inputs)