A technical failure near Sawarde on the Konkan Railway route halted train movement in both directions on Saturday, delaying the Mumbai–Ratnagiri Jan Shatabdi and Tejas Express services along with other trains during the busy Ganeshotsav travel period.
The disruption occurred at about 11.30 am, roughly eight kilometres from Sawarde station. According to a report by Loksatta, passengers on trains travelling towards Ratnagiri from Mumbai were held at Sawarde station while railway authorities began repair work.
Train operations on both directions were suspended after the technical problem was detected. By about 1.15 pm, the Jan Shatabdi, Tejas Express and other services travelling from Mumbai towards Ratnagiri remained stopped at Sawarde, leaving passengers waiting for services to resume. The report said the stoppage continued until around 1 pm and that some passengers faced delays of approximately one and a half hours at the station.
The disruption affected travellers during a period when passenger demand on the Konkan Railway route is already high because of Ganeshotsav. Several special trains have been introduced to accommodate the seasonal movement of passengers travelling to the Konkan region. The additional services have increased pressure on the route’s operating schedule, according to the report.
Passengers on the halted trains included children and senior citizens, who faced difficulty while waiting at the station. The technical failure also disrupted the scheduled movement of other services, with some trains reportedly running up to four hours late.
The incident highlights the operational sensitivity of the Konkan Railway corridor during festival periods, when a large concentration of passengers and special services leaves less room for timetable disruptions. However, the report did not specify the exact nature of the technical failure, the equipment involved or whether any service cancellations were ordered.
Konkan Railway authorities took up repair work immediately after the problem was reported. Train services were to resume after the fault was rectified, with the affected timetable expected to be managed through the operational response to the disruption.
