Suburban train services between Belapur and Panvel remained suspended for over two hours beyond the scheduled block on Sunday, leaving thousands of passengers stranded. The disruption occurred as the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) carried out yard remodeling work at Panvel for the under-construction Panvel–Karjat suburban corridor, underscoring the strain on commuters amid ongoing infrastructure upgrades.
During the block period, MRVC undertook major track and overhead equipment (OHE) modifications as part of the Panvel yard remodeling work.
These included dismantling the existing Point 515-A, slewing and linking the main line track with new PSC sleepers, inserting switches and crossings with associated fittings, and ballasting and tamping the newly slewed track. Additional works involved final OHE adjustments at the crossover locations and insulator and overlap adjustments, followed by testing and verification of track circuits and Point 515 A & B after the block.
Railway officials said that the special traffic and power block between Badlapur and Panvel was supposed to conclude by 11:45 am, after which services were expected to resume. Due to a technical issue, however, the block continued for over two hours, concluding at 1:54 pm, and the first local from Belapur to Panvel was finally dispatched only at 2:17 pm.
According to sources, the prolonged disruption caused significant inconvenience to passengers travelling on the Belapur–Panvel stretch, many of whom were left with no option but to depend on crowded bus services, auto-rickshaws, and cabs.
“However, keeping the block in mind, Central Railway had requested the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) to operate additional bus services on the affected routes. Responding to the appeal, NMMC deployed extra buses between Panvel–Belapur, Belapur–Panvel, and Turbhe–Belapur. Buses were operating at intervals of 35–40 minutes, particularly on the Belapur–Panvel section. But after the unscheduled extension of the block, the arrangement fell short as the commuter rush swelled beyond expectations.”
The shortage of public transport led to widespread complaints of overcharging by auto-rickshaw drivers and cab operators. Many commuters alleged that drivers took undue advantage of the situation. Suresh Chandane (45), a Belapur resident, said that a regular rickshaw ride from Belapur to Panvel typically costs Rs 200–250, but on Sunday, passengers were asked to pay anywhere between Rs 500 and Rs 700, depending on urgency. Shared rickshaws, which usually charge Rs 70, demanded up to Rs 250, while cab operators also reportedly collected inflated fares.
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