Mumbai: Central Railway’s Mumbai Division will implement a Mega Block on its suburban railway network on 1st September 2024 to carry out crucial engineering and maintenance activities.
The Mega Block will impact multiple lines and is expected to cause delays and diversions across various sections, emphasising the need for ongoing infrastructure maintenance and safety measures. The scheduled block will affect both UP and DOWN slow lines between Matunga and Mulund stations from 11:05 AM to 3:55 PM. Consequently, services on the DOWN slow line departing from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) between 10:14 AM and 3:18 PM will be diverted onto the DOWN fast line between Matunga and Mulund stations. These services will make scheduled halts at Sion, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, and Mulund stations before being redirected back to the DOWN slow line at Mulund station.
Passengers are advised to expect a delay of approximately 15 minutes on these services. Similarly, UP slow line services departing from Thane between 10:58 AM and 3:59 PM will be diverted onto the UP fast line between Mulund and Matunga stations, halting at all key stations, including Mulund, Bhandup, Vikhroli, Ghatkopar, Kurla, and Sion. These services will resume their normal route on the UP slow line at Matunga, with a projected delay of 15 minutes upon arrival at their respective destinations.
During the Mega Block period, all UP and DOWN local trains departing from or arriving at CSMT between 11:00 AM and 5:00 PM are expected to reach their destinations 15 minutes behind the scheduled time. The last local service before the block on the DOWN slow line will be the Titwala local departing from CSMT at 9:53 AM, while the first service after the block will be the Asangaon local departing from CSMT at 3:32 PM. On the UP slow line, the last local before the block will be the Asangaon local departing Thane at 10:27 AM, and the first after the block will be the Kalyan local departing Thane at 4:03 PM.
Additionally, the UP and DOWN Harbour Lines between Kurla and Vashi stations will be affected from 11:10 AM to 4:10 PM. Consequently, DOWN Harbour line services towards Panvel, Belapur, and Vashi, departing from CSMT between 10:34 AM and 3:36 PM, and UP Harbour line services towards CSMT, departing from Panvel, Belapur, and Vashi from 10:16 AM to 3:47 PM, will be cancelled. Special suburban trains will operate between CSMT-Kurla and Panvel-Vashi sections during the block period. Passengers on the Harbour Line are permitted to travel between Thane and Vashi/Nerul stations from 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM during the block hours. The Railway Administration urges passengers to cooperate and bear with the temporary inconvenience, emphasising that these maintenance mega blocks are vital for the upkeep and safety of the railway infrastructure.
