An official said that local train services on the Central Railway route, which were already witnessing delays amid heavy rains on Monday, were further affected after a goods train stalled on the track in Thane district, reported news agency PTI.
A goods train stalled between Badalpur and Ambernath railway stations due to wheel slip around 12.55 pm, a Central Railway spokesperson said.
“The train has stalled in the CSMT-bound track because of the rainfall and a wheel slip. An assisting engine has been dispatched, and it is being moved,” he said, reported PTI.
Commuters were stranded in local trains bound for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai that were stuck behind the goods train, and crowds swelled at railway stations, reported PTI.
Local trains were already running late, especially on the Main Line (CSMT to Kasara) since morning, due to heavy showers and water accumulation on tracks in low-lying areas near Dadar, Byculla, Masjid, Kurla, Sion, and other railway stations, reported PTI.
According to commuter groups, suburban services were witnessing delays of up to 20 minutes on the Main Line of the Central Railway.
Meanwhile, a monorail train came to an abrupt halt on tracks due to a “technical snag” in Mumbai on Monday morning, following which all 17 passengers onboard were rescued, officials said, adding the incident was the second in less than a month.
The incident took place at 7:16 am between the Antop Hill Bus Depot and GTBN monorail station in Wadala, they said.
“Today, a technical snag occurred in one of the mono trains. As per safety protocols, all 17 passengers on board were swiftly and safely transferred to another train and taken to the next station by 7:40 am,” said a spokesperson of Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation Limited (MMMOCL), which operates the monorail.
“The affected train is being towed away. Services between Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk and Wadala were running on a single line with delays, while Wadala to Chembur services remained operational as usual,” MMMOCL said in a statement.
A Fire Brigade official said two fire engines and two turntables were dispatched to the site for the post-incident operation but their deployment was not needed as the passengers were evacuated after another rake was brought on the parallel track.
On August 19, amid very heavy rains, as many as 582 passengers were stranded on a monorail near Mysore Colony station for several hours before being rescued by the Mumbai Fire Brigade. Another monorail train was stuck at Acharya Atre Nagar station, where 200 passengers were evacuated.
Rescue teams, including the Mumbai Fire Brigade and other agencies, took several hours to safely evacuate all passengers amid difficulties caused by rains.
Following these incidents, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) announced a series of immediate and long-term measures aimed at improving passenger safety and operational efficiency. These included the de-boarding of passengers from overloaded trains.
(With inputs from PTI)
