Central Railway Identifies 117 Waterlogging Spots, Steps Up Monsoon Preparedness

Mumbai: Central Railway has stepped up its monsoon preparedness by identifying 117 chronic waterlogging-prone locations across its suburban network and completing several engineering works aimed at reducing disruptions during heavy rainfall. The move comes after the season's first intense showers earlier this week disrupted services on the Trans-Harbour line between Turbhe and Koparkhairane and led to waterlogging at Dadar, forcing cancellation of some train services. On Friday, commuters faced fresh disruptions due to multiple technical failures, underlining the challenges of running Mumbai's lifeline during the monsoon.

210 Heavy-Duty Pumps Deployed Across Vulnerable Locations

Chief Public Relations Officer Dr. Swapnil Nila said Central Railway has prepared a comprehensive monsoon action plan focused on preventing waterlogging, strengthening drainage systems and protecting vulnerable ghat sections. "We have identified 117 chronic waterlogging-prone spots where tracks traditionally submerge during heavy downpours. To counter this, we are deploying 210 heavy-duty dewatering pumps, ranging from 12.5 HP to 100 HP, alongside executing extensive desilting of drains, culverts and bridge waterways," he said.

Railway officials said 18 major flood-prone locations have been mapped for targeted engineering works. Flood mitigation measures have already been completed at six critical locations, including Sion-Kurla, Chunabhatti-Kurla, Vikhroli-Kanjurmarg and Kurla-Tilaknagar. Officials added that long-term infrastructure upgrades such as track raising and bridge augmentation will continue in phases till 2028. Between 2024 and 2026, 42 bridges have already been upgraded as part of the programme.

Ghat Sections Get Rockfall Barriers and Retaining Walls

Special attention has also been given to the landslide-prone ghat sections between Kalyan-Lonavala-Karjat and Kasara-Igatpuri. Rockfall barriers, boulder netting, tunnel portals, gabion structures, retaining wall strengthening and boulder-catching sumps have been installed with technical support from Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd and IIT experts. Railway officials said these measures helped keep the middle line in the ghat section operational throughout the monsoons of 2024 and 2025.

Central Railway has also completed a ₹5.50-crore micro-tunnelling project at Thane, where two 110-metre RCC pipelines were laid beneath active railway tracks to improve drainage. Officials said the project is expected to significantly reduce flooding around Thane station during heavy rain and improve operational reliability.

Despite these preparations, Friday witnessed multiple operational issues. An overhead equipment (OHE) failure between Lower Parel and Dadar from 6 am to 7.22 am affected Vande Bharat Express and suburban services on the Down line towards Borivali. This was followed by a point failure at Churchgate between 8 am and 8.30 am. At Kalyan, a rail fracture was detected on the Up Fast line at around 8 am. Train movement resumed at a restricted speed of 10 kmph from 8.19 am, which was later increased to 30 kmph at 8.27 am after safety checks.

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