Mumbai Rains: Central Railway Fixes 6 Major Waterlogging Spots; Completes Key Safety Works Ahead Of Peak Monsoon

Mumbai: Ahead of the peak monsoon season, Central Railway (CR) completed major infrastructure upgrades across Mumbai’s suburban railway network to tackle waterlogging and improve train safety during heavy rainfall.

The railway administration said it has fixed six critical waterlogging-prone locations, completed a major microtunnelling drainage project near Thane station and strengthened vulnerable ghat sections with protective systems, including boulder nets, fencing and tunnel portals.

“Central Railway has undertaken extensive preparations to ensure safe, reliable and uninterrupted train operations during the monsoon season. A comprehensive action plan focusing on prevention of waterlogging, augmentation of drainage infrastructure, protection of vulnerable locations and strengthening of ghat sections has been implemented,” CR Chief Spokesperson Dr Swapnil Nila said, as quoted by Mid-day.

According to CR, 18 major flooding-prone locations were identified across the suburban network for targeted engineering intervention. Out of these, works at six key locations have already been completed.

The completed sites include Sion-Kurla, Chunabhatti-Kurla, Vikhroli-Kanjurmarg Road and Kurla-Tilaknagar, stretches that frequently witness waterlogging and disruptions during intense rainfall in Mumbai.

Railway officials added that several long-term projects involving bridge augmentation, track raising, microtunnelling and drainage upgrades are currently underway and will be completed in phases till 2028.

Major Focus On Thane Waterlogging Issue

One of the key projects completed by Central Railway is the Thane microtunnelling drainage project, developed at a cost of approximately Rs 5.50 crore. According to the report, the project involved installation of two RCC pipelines, each around 110 metres long, beneath railway tracks using advanced microtunnelling technology.

The project aims to permanently resolve the long-standing flooding issue at Thane station, where rainwater levels would often rise above rail level during heavy downpours, severely affecting suburban train operations.

Officials said that after the completion of the project, water accumulation during monsoon is expected to reduce substantially, helping avoid major disruptions and improving operational reliability.

Special Protection Measures In Ghat Sections

Special attention has also been given to the sensitive ghat sections between Kalyan-Lonavala-Karjat and Kasara-Igatpuri, which remain vulnerable to landslides, boulder falls, slope failures and washouts during monsoon rains.

To minimise risks in these mountainous stretches, Central Railway has deployed multiple protective systems including rockfall barriers, boulder netting, boulder-fall fencing, tunnel portals, gabion structures, retaining wall strengthening and boulder-catching sumps, reported Mid-day.

Over 200 Dewatering Pumps Deployed

As part of monsoon preparedness, Central Railway has also deployed 210 heavy-duty dewatering pumps ranging from 12.5 HP to 100 HP capacity at vulnerable locations across the network.

Simultaneously, extensive desilting and cleaning of drains, culverts and bridge waterways have been carried out to ensure smooth discharge of rainwater and minimise flooding on tracks.

The monsoon preparedness measures come as Mumbai continues to witness heavy rainfall activity, with the India Meteorological Department issuing alerts for intense rain across the city and neighbouring districts over the coming days.

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