Heavy Rains Wreak Havoc on Mumbai’s Transportation Services
Mumbai, 20th July 2023: Heavy rains have wreaked havoc on the Mumbai metropolis, causing widespread disruptions to transportation services. Since Tuesday night, the city has been hit by incessant rains, which further intensified on Wednesday morning. As a result, local services faced significant delays and technical glitches, impacting the daily commute of thousands of residents.
The railways were among the hardest-hit, with waterlogging reported on the tracks at several locations. This led to severe disruptions in the Kalyan-Karjat-Kasara and Panvel-Belapur train services throughout the day. In addition, long-distance mail-express trains had to be canceled, adding to the woes of commuters.
One of the major incidents occurred around 9.40 am on Wednesday when a technical fault disrupted traffic on the Panvel-Belapur railway line, causing a massive rush of passengers at the affected stations. However, the railway staff worked diligently to repair the fault, and services on the Panvel-Belapur route resumed by 10.05 am. Thankfully, the Belapur-CSMT local service remained unaffected.
The Ambernath-Badlapur service also experienced a halt when water inundated the railway track between Ambernath and Badlapur railway stations on the Central Railway. As a result, the Badlapur-CSMT local service had to be canceled, leaving many stranded and inconvenienced.
Mumbai’s low-lying areas experienced heavy waterlogging due to the incessant downpour, causing further disruptions to transportation services. The CSMT-Badlapur local service had to be suspended as water accumulated at Ambernath railway station. However, the CSMT-Ambernath local service and Badlapur-Karjat local service continued their operations.
The Kalyan-Kasara local service was also severely impacted when a technical fault occurred at the point between Kalyan railway station. This forced the authorities to halt the services from Kalyan to Kasara.
The heavy rains not only affected the railway network but also caused delays in local services on all three routes. Western Railway experienced delays of 15 to 20 minutes, Central Railway suffered delays of 20 to 30 minutes, and the Harbor line faced delays of 10 to 15 minutes due to reduced visibility.
As local services faced suspension, the State Transport (ST) administration offered some relief to passengers by providing free bus services on both the east and west sides of the railway stations.
The BEST initiative also had to make route adjustments due to waterlogging on Shiv Road No. 24. Buses on route numbers 25, 7, and 411 were diverted to route number three from 9.15 pm on Wednesday to ensure smoother travel for commuters.
The situation remains challenging as the heavy rains continue to lash the city. Authorities are working tirelessly to restore services and ensure the safety and convenience of the public. Commuters are advised to stay updated with the latest transportation advisories and take necessary precautions during this challenging time.
