Mumbai: Suburban train services on the Western Railway line were hit by delays on Wednesday. due to a point failure at Mahim station, affecting the Up Slow, Up Fast, and Down Fast lines. According to Western Railway (WR) officials, the fault reported at 10:33 am and was resolved by 10:55 am.
“Immediately after receiving the alert, the concerned technical team was rushed to the site. The issue was resolved within 25 minutes, and normal train movement resumed post 10:55 am,” said a WR spokesperson.
However, the brief disruption triggered a cascading effect, causing trains to run behind schedule well into the afternoon. Commuters reported delays ranging from 15 to over 20 minutes on several services.
Anil Sharma (45), a Goregaon-based daily commuter, expressed his frustration, saying, “I reached the station and heard the announcement that trains are delayed by 15–20 minutes, but the delay stretched beyond 20 minutes.”
Sharma also suggested that Western Railway explore modern communication tools for better passenger engagement. “Like IRCTC has a database, WR should consider maintaining a pool of contact numbers of at least season pass holders. In case of service disruptions, they could send alerts via SMS or WhatsApp. This would help regular commuters plan for alternatives in advance,” he said.
