Central Railway Forms Four-Member Inquiry Committee After Local Train Coach Derails At Dombivli, Disrupting Thousands Of Commuters

Mumbai: The Central Railway has set up a four-member inquiry committee to investigate the derailment of a local train coach at Dombivli on Monday morning, an incident that disrupted suburban services for hours and impacted thousands of commuters.

Nine Trains Cancelled, 12 Diverted

The derailment occurred at around 8.09 am when an empty local rake was being moved from Kalwa Car Shed towards Kalyan. A wheel set of one coach slipped off the track while crossing over near Dombivli station, affecting operations on the slow line. Railway teams restored the coach on track by 10.10 am and cleared the section by around 10.50 am, but the disruption had already led to cancellation of at least nine services and diversion of 12 trains to the fast corridor.

Despite restoration, delays of up to 30 minutes persisted through the day, with commuters crowding platforms for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-bound trains. Passengers from stations like Mumbra and Kopar were particularly affected as several services skipped halts during the disruption. Officials said the ripple effect continued into the evening peak hours.

Committee Includes Safety & Engineering Officials

The committee, comprising senior officials from safety, engineering, mechanical and operations departments of the Mumbai division, will examine the exact cause of the derailment. “We have formed a team to ascertain the reason. The incident occurred nearly 22 hours after the mega block work concluded,” a Central Railway official said, adding that multiple trains had safely passed through the section after the maintenance work.

The development has also triggered concerns over the quality of recent infrastructure work. Over the weekend, a major mega block was undertaken between Mulund, Thane, Diva and Dombivli stations for platform extensions and track modifications. The Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh questioned whether adequate supervision and quality checks were carried out, pointing out that long-distance trains were reportedly allowed on the same tracks during the block.

Railways Say Derailment on Different Section

Railway authorities, however, maintained that the derailment took place on a different section and involved a rake moving in the opposite direction. The inquiry findings are expected to determine accountability and suggest corrective measures to prevent such incidents. The incident once again highlights the fragility of Mumbai’s suburban network, where even minor technical failures can quickly escalate into large-scale commuter disruption.

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