Mumbai: The Diwali holiday rush on Central Railway was compounded by six chain-pulling incidents on Sunday, disrupting train operations across the suburban network. Five mail and express trains and one local train were affected, causing delays to several suburban services and forcing the cancellation of one Thane–Kalyan local. The incidents also affected trains operating towards Ambernath, Titwala and Kasara, adding to the inconvenience of passengers travelling during the festive season.
Three of the six incidents were reported at Kalyan station, involving the Godan Express (11055), Pawan Express (11061) and Udyan Express (11301). The Godan Express was detained at Kalyan between 12.07 pm and 12.16 pm, while the Pawan Express remained halted on platform number four from 12.43 pm to 12.53 pm. In the third incident, chain pulling was reported in the seventh and 11th coaches from the engine of the Udyan Express. The train was held at Kalyan between 1.15 pm and 1.22 pm. The disruptions affected down-direction traffic and suburban services towards Ambernath and Titwala.
Incidents across multiple sections
The remaining incidents were reported at different locations. The Lokmanya Tilak Terminus–Azamgarh Superfast Express (20103) was detained between LTT and Vidyavihar from 5.27 am to 5.41 am after chain pulling. The incident affected suburban services towards Ambernath, Titwala and Kasara.
The LTT–Mau Express (15182) was stopped between Kalyan and Shahad from 12.34 pm to 12.47 pm following another incident. Meanwhile, a Titwala–CSMT local was detained between Vidyavihar and Kurla from 9.18 am to 9.22 am.
One incident, multiple trains affected
Railway operations officials point out that chain pulling does not affect only the train in which the emergency chain is pulled. When a train is brought to a halt, services following it may also have to be regulated, resulting in a cascading impact on the entire section. This becomes particularly challenging during festive periods, when trains operate with heavy passenger loads.
To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/
