Local Train Derails in Mumbai After Moving in Reverse Direction, None Hurt; Harbour Line Services Disrupted

A local train derailed when it moved in reverse direction at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in Mumbai on Tuesday morning, affecting suburban services on the Harbour Line, an official said. No one was injured in the incident which took place on platform no. 1 of the CSMT around 9.40 am, Central Railway’s chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said.

Later, services from the platform resumed after about two-and-a-half hours, according to the Central Railway (CR). The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking said it operated 10 extra bus services for commuters.

The Harbour Line connects south Mumbai to Navi Mumbai and Panvel in adjoining Raigad district. The local trains are considered as the lifeline of Mumbai. Nearly 40 lakh commuters travel daily on the CR routes, including 10 lakh on the Harbour Line.

Sutar said the Panvel-bound train was given a green signal, but it moved in the opposite direction. “The CSMT-Panvel (PL-61) local was ready to leave platform number one, but it went in the reverse direction and touched the dead-end of the same platform,” he said.

This resulted in the derailment of one trolley of fourth coach from the rear-end, he said. The Harbour Line services usually operate from platform nos. 1 and 2 at the CSMT.

Following the derailment, the local trains were operated only from platform no. 2, affecting suburban services on the corridor. Some of the suburban services were likely to remain cancelled due to unavailability of the platform. Also, some trains will be short-terminated at Wadala station and operated from there, Sutar said after the incident.

The official later said the re-railment work was completed and the CSMT platform no. 1 was also made available for traffic from 12.11 pm. However, the suburban services on the Harbour line are still affected and running late, some commuters said.

The BEST undertaking said it operated 10 extra bus services from Wadala station of the Harbour line to CSMT from 10.15 am to 11.15 am. Sutar said suburban services on the CR’s Main Line were running as per schedule. The Main Line connects CSMT in south Mumbai to neighbouring Thane city, Kalyan, Kasara and Khopoli.

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