Mumbai: Heavy rainfall in Gujarat and Palghar threw Western Railway services into disarray on Thursday, forcing the cancellation of 52 trains, short termination of 46 services and diversion of 19 others. The disruption crippled the Mumbai–Surat–Valsad corridor and triggered massive chaos at Bandra Terminus, where hundreds of stranded passengers crowded ticket checking and enquiry offices seeking answers. Many alleged they had received no prior SMS or official intimation about cancellations, diversions or delays before reaching the station.
The disruption began after the water level at Bridge No. 203 between Gholvad and Umargam Road reached the danger mark, prompting Western Railway to suspend train operations as a safety measure. Although movement resumed later with speed restrictions after water levels receded, services remained heavily affected throughout the day. Suburban services were also disrupted, with local trains operating only up to Vangaon, while Dahanu Road local services remained cancelled for most of the day.
The worst scenes were witnessed at Bandra Terminus. Long queues formed outside the TC office and enquiry counters as anxious passengers searched for information. Families with children and elderly travellers waited for hours, while many expressed frustration over the lack of clear announcements and timely updates. Several passengers said they came to know about train cancellations only after reaching the station. Others said their trains were diverted from Vadodara without prior notice, leaving them with no way to reach their intended boarding point. Some also claimed that trains were halted at Borivali, Dahanu and other stations before eventually being cancelled.
Several major trains, including the Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad Express, Bandra Terminus–Ramnagar Express, Gandhinagar Capital Vande Bharat Express, Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express, Flying Ranee, Bandra Terminus–Surat Intercity, Vapi Passenger, Virar–Valsad Passenger and Borivali–Valsad MEMU, were cancelled. Some services were short-terminated at Udhna, Pardi and Valsad, while the Khadki–Indore Special was diverted via Lonavala–Karjat–Panvel–Kalyan–Igatpuri.
"I had booked a train from Mumbai Central, but a few hours before departure I received a message saying it was cancelled. I then booked another train as tickets were available. When I reached the station two hours later, I was told that train had also been cancelled," said Amit Rai, who was stranded at Bandra Terminus.
Another passenger said she received no information before arriving at the station. "Only after reaching the station did we hear the announcement that our train would not go to Vadodara. We were told the ticket fare would be refunded, but that does not solve our travel problem," she said.
Passengers travelling on delayed trains also narrated their ordeal. Vatsal Gaur, travelling from Delhi to Mumbai on the Tejas Express, said the train remained stranded near Valsad for nearly eight hours due to waterlogging. "I booked Tejas Express to reach Mumbai early, but the train remained stuck for hours. No bus service was arranged by the Railways to help passengers reach Mumbai," he said.
Shabina Qureshi, who was travelling from Ajmer to Mumbai with her family, said their train remained stranded between Sabarmati and Mumbai for several hours without basic facilities. "There was no arrangement for lunch despite the long delay," she said.
Several passengers also criticised the lack of emergency arrangements. "Our train was completely halted for nearly nine hours, but no bus service was provided to take passengers to the nearest accessible station or their destination. We had no option but to wait inside the train or on the platform," said one passenger. Many travellers said the absence of timely communication and alternative transport made an already difficult situation worse.
Videos of stranded passengers soon flooded social media. In one widely shared clip, travellers waiting for hours at a station were seen playing garba to pass the time. Even premium services such as the Tejas Express ran several hours behind schedule.
Western Railway said passenger safety remained its top priority and that services would be restored in phases as water levels receded and track conditions became safe for train operations.
Western Railway on Thursday said it implemented extensive passenger assistance measures after heavy rainfall disrupted train services on its Mumbai Division. According to WR, 52 trains were cancelled, 38 short terminated, 18 diverted, and 14 had their origin changed. Help desks were set up at major stations, food and water were distributed to around 12,500 passengers with NGO support, while 1,374 passengers were provided refunds worth ₹11.94 lakh. Additionally, bulk SMS alerts were sent to over 1.12 lakh passengers to keep them informed about operational changes.
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