Mumbai’s Central Railway network suffered major disruption after a fire at a signalling hut in Kanjurmarg and an overhead-wire incident halted or slowed services across the Main and Harbour lines on Monday, cancelling 80 local trains and delaying running services by 70 to 90 minutes.
The disruption stranded thousands of commuters in stationary trains for as long as 90 minutes. Some passengers walked along the tracks as trains operated intermittently on adjoining lines, while others turned to autorickshaws, buses and the Metro to reach their destinations. The disruption also affected long-distance train arrivals and departures, with packed platforms reported at several stations.
Central Railway chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said a signalling failure occurred at 9.33am after a fire broke out at the signalling hut at Kanjurmarg. Around 24 signals went blank across all six lines between Vikhroli and Bhandup, affecting train movements on both the Main and Harbour lines.
The signalling failure followed the discovery of a wire of unknown origin hanging from the overhead equipment on the Down slow line between Mulund and Thane at 9.23am. Railway officials imposed a power block at 10am in response to the wire snag and restored that section at 10.48am. By then, delays had begun accumulating on the Main Line.
With signalling unavailable after the fire, railway personnel introduced alternative operating procedures, including A-board authority and absolute block working on the affected sections. Under these arrangements, trains could move only after prescribed safety clearances, reducing the frequency of train movements and causing delays to spread across the network.
In total, 60 Main Line services and 20 Harbour Line services were cancelled. The Harbour Line also faced a shortage of train crews because personnel and resources were diverted to Main Line operations. Although all signals were restored by 7.35pm, Central Railway services continued to run late into the night.
The disruption had consequences beyond daily commuting. Several colleges rescheduled internal semester examinations after students struggled to reach examination centres on time. Commuters attempting to change trains or reach platforms also faced serious safety risks amid the prolonged disruption.
Three deaths were reported on or near the tracks during the day. A 21-year-old Mulund resident, Sahil Thite, died after being hit by a local train at Bhandup. Police said he had alighted at platform 4, jumped onto the tracks and was attempting to reach platform 3 to board another local when a fast train struck him. He was taken to a public hospital, where he succumbed to his injuries.
Kurla Government Railway Police registered a case of accidental death in Thite’s case. Police said they had examined CCTV footage but had not yet established the circumstances that led him to cross the tracks. Two other people were found dead on the tracks between Ghatkopar and Vikhroli on Monday evening. Police had not confirmed the cause of those deaths.
Central Railway said an inquiry would be conducted to identify the cause of the fire. The investigation and the railway’s operational review will determine how the signalling equipment was damaged and whether further corrective measures are required across the affected section.
