Mumbai experienced significant disruption to local train services on the Central Railway line during the Wednesday evening rush hour due to a signal error involving a goods train. The incident unfolded when a freight train disregarded a red signal and veered onto a loop line near Badlapur station, leading to a cascade of operational issues.
The freight train, which was transporting iron coils from Dolvi in Maharashtra to Korukkpet in Tamil Nadu, triggered a Signal Passing at Danger (SPAD) event. This error led to widespread disruption, affecting local train services in both directions. The mishap resulted in the cancellation of nine local trains, the short-termination of twelve others, and the rerouting of one long-distance train via Diva and Karjat.
The Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) for Mumbai confirmed that local train services headed towards Badlapur, Karjat, and Khopoli were rerouted through Ambernath and subsequently operated as Special CSMT services. This rerouting was necessitated by the signal failure, which is suspected to have been caused by inadequate braking on the freight train. According to the Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, the goods train’s locomotive failed at the Badlapur home signal at approximately 4:30 pm. Consequently, the Up line traffic towards CSMT was restored by 5:35 pm, while the Down line resumed operations at 6:50 pm.
Central Railway, which handles over 1,800 services daily across its main, harbour, trans-harbour, and Belapur-Uran corridors, serves approximately 4 million commuters each day. The disruption led to severe overcrowding on trains and at railway stations, exacerbating the impact on commuters during peak travel hours. The incident underscores the critical importance of stringent signal adherence and the need for robust safety mechanisms to prevent such occurrences in the future.
