MUMBAI: Commuters in Mumbai are advised to seek alternative transport from Friday to Sunday as Central Railway (CR) undertakes significant infrastructure upgrades, leading to the cancellation of 930 local trains and 72 long-distance services.
CR officials have confirmed that the disruptions will primarily affect services from Thane and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT). The upgrades will commence with a 63-hour block at Thane starting late Thursday night, followed by a 36-hour block at CSMT beginning Friday night. The extensive works will involve over 500 workers and will significantly impact CR’s daily operations, which serve approximately 38 to 40 lakh commuters with 1,810 daily services.
The Thane upgrade will involve widening platforms 5 and 6 on the Down fast line towards Kalyan, a project slated to span from Thursday midnight until 3:30 pm on June 2. Concurrently, work on the Up line towards CSMT will last for 12 hours until Friday noon. These measures aim to enhance crowd management on foot over-bridges (FOBs) and platforms at Thane station. Notably, the Ministry of Railways in Delhi granted special block permissions on Wednesday evening, with the use of new technology to expedite platform widening, reducing completion time to less than three days.
Simultaneously, at CSMT, non-interlocking (NI) works will facilitate the extension of platforms 10 and 11 to accommodate 24-car trains. This 36-hour block, starting Friday night, includes comprehensive yard remodelling efforts, such as laying 12 new turnouts and commissioning 15 new signals. The outdated Route Relay Interlocking (RRI) system, commissioned in 1992, will be replaced with a new electronic interlocking system to improve reliability. The blockages will lead to the short-termination and short-originating of several Mail Express and suburban trains at alternative stations including Wadala, Dadar, Thane, Pune, Panvel, and Nashik. On the harbour line, services will terminate at Wadala, while on the main line, Byculla will serve as the terminus.
To mitigate commuter inconvenience, CR has requested the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to provide additional bus services. The extensive cancellations include 161 services on Friday, 534 on Saturday, and 235 on Sunday. These proactive infrastructure enhancements are crucial for accommodating future rail demands and ensuring long-term operational efficiency. Commuters are urged to plan their travel accordingly and use CR services only if absolutely necessary during this period. The block will officially conclude at 3:30 pm on June 2, aiming to restore normalcy to the city’s vital rail network.
