A fire near railway tracks in Maharashtra’s Palghar district damaged signalling equipment and disrupted train services on the Western Railway’s Mumbai suburban network, officials said on Monday, November 9. Several local and long-distance trains were running late following the incident, while commuters reported delays of at least 15 to 20 minutes during the Monday morning rush hour.
The fire was reported at around 11.20 pm on Sunday and was extinguished within 30 minutes, Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek said. No injuries were reported.
Fire damages signalling equipment
According to railway officials, the blaze broke out near the tracks between two stations in Palghar district. Although the fire was brought under control within half an hour, it damaged signalling equipment in the affected section.
The damage led to the failure of multiple track circuits, disrupting the signalling system and affecting the scheduled movement of suburban trains. The resulting restrictions on train operations caused delays across the Western Railway network.
Trains run late after signalling failure
Abhishek said suburban and long-distance train services were affected, particularly those heading towards Mumbai. The signalling failure required railway staff to operate trains under prescribed safety procedures.
“Up trains are being operated by passing two signals as per the prescribed rules due to the signalling failure,” Abhishek said.
The disruption affected the suburban services timetable, with several trains running behind schedule. Long-distance services were also impacted, adding to the inconvenience for passengers travelling towards Mumbai.
Commuters face delays and overcrowding
Commuters reported that local trains were running at least 15 to 20 minutes late on Monday morning. The delays led to increased crowding at several railway stations and inside suburban trains, particularly during the morning peak period.
Passengers travelling on the affected section faced longer waiting times as railway services operated under the restrictions imposed following the signalling failure.
Restoration work underway
Railway officials were working to resolve the signalling issues and restore normal train operations, Abhishek said. Efforts were underway to repair the damaged equipment and bring the affected track circuits back into service.
The Western Railway had not reported any injuries in the incident. However, the extent of the damage to the signalling system and the time required for complete restoration remained key factors affecting the resumption of normal suburban train services.
(With inputs from PTI)
