Commuters on Central Railway’s far-end suburban stretch between Karjat and Khopoli will have to brace for a difficult week, as services on the line will remain suspended for four hours on Sunday, and two hours from Monday to all the way to Saturday (November 1). Other than the suspension of services today between 11.20 am and 3.45 pm, the two-hour daily block will begin from Monday between 11.20 am and 1.20 pm.
The suspension of services is due to major yard remodelling works at Karjat junction station and might mean a chaotic morning peak hour commute in the coming week. Commuters who usually travel post-peak hours will be forced to catch peak-hour trains due to the two-hour gap, and the spill-over effect might lead to a swell in passengers once the line is restored.
Railway officials confirmed that the block today is a result of the power and traffic lines being shut down to facilitate work in the Nagnath Cabin–Karjat section. During this period, the following four suburban services stand cancelled:
Karjat–Khopoli locals scheduled to depart Karjat at 12 noon and 1.15 pm; and Khopoli–Karjat locals scheduled to depart Khopoli at 11.20 am and 12.40 pm. Railway authorities have requested passengers to plan their travel accordingly and, where possible, use alternate arrangements from Karjat, which continues to handle regular suburban and long-distance traffic during the block.
