A fire suspected to have been triggered by firecrackers damaged signalling cables between Virar and Nallasopara on the Western Railway network, disrupting suburban and long-distance services and leading to 35 cancellations and 150 delays on Monday.
The fire broke out at around 11.20 pm on November 8 and was extinguished within 30 minutes, according to a Western Railway official cited by the Times of India. The incident affected seven signals and caused failures in multiple track circuits on the section used by trains travelling towards Mumbai.
Fourteen 12-core signalling cables and six six-quad cables were damaged in the blaze, the official said. The affected signals included A689 on the UP through line; A686 and S-13 on the DOWN through line; A537 on the UP local line; S-11 and A534 on the DOWN local line; and S-19 on the siding. Western Railway said the cost of the damaged equipment had not yet been assessed.
The signalling failure required UP trains heading towards Mumbai to pass two signals under prescribed railway operating rules. The disruption affected both suburban and long-distance services. Fourteen suburban services were delayed on November 8, while 35 services were cancelled and 150 delayed on Monday.
Railway staff worked through the night to restore the system. Additional cables were laid, and signalling functions were progressively brought back into operation during Monday morning. Restoration records showed that different signals and track circuits returned to service between 1.38 am and 10.45 am.
Signalling systems are central to the safe separation and movement of trains, so damage to cables can affect not only punctuality but also the operating procedures used by railway staff. In this case, the failure required trains to proceed past affected signals according to prescribed rules while restoration work continued.
The incident also exposed the operational sensitivity of a busy suburban railway corridor, where damage to a relatively localised part of the signalling network can affect passengers across suburban and long-distance services. The reported cause remains a suspicion at this stage; the Western Railway official said the fire was suspected to have been triggered by bursting firecrackers.
Western Railway officials continued monitoring the affected section while restoration work progressed. The official said the entire signalling system was expected to be restored by Monday night.
