Mumbai: A night of Diwali celebrations turned into a morning of commuter misery after a fire allegedly triggered by firecrackers damaged signalling cables between Nallasopara and Virar on Sunday night. The incident disrupted Western Railway services, with local trains running 20-30 minutes late on Monday morning and thousands of commuters travelling towards Mumbai facing delays.
Passengers Stranded At Virar Station For Nearly 50 Minutes
For passengers at Virar station, the trouble began late Sunday night itself. Several commuters were left waiting on crowded platforms as train services were disrupted. Krishna N Singh, who was travelling from Virar to Borivali, said he waited nearly 50 minutes for a train.
"There were continuous announcements about the fire. Trains were unavailable for around 45-50 minutes, resulting in heavy rush on the platform even late at night," he said.
Firecracker Activity Suspected Behind Trackside Blaze
The fire was reported at around 11.20 pm on November 8, a day after Diwali. Railway officials suspect that unidentified people burst firecrackers close to the railway tracks, setting dry grass along the railway boundary ablaze. Railway staff rushed to the spot and extinguished the flames by around 11.50 pm.
"We found burnt firecrackers at the site. The dry grass had burned due to the fire, which was extinguished by 11.50 pm," a Western Railway official said.
Signalling Cables Damaged, Multiple Track Circuits Affected
However, putting out the fire did not end the trouble. The flames had damaged signalling cables laid close to the tracks and relatively close to the ground. This affected multiple track circuits, forcing railway authorities to operate trains under restricted conditions.
"The incident affected signalling equipment in the section, resulting in the failure of multiple track circuits and forcing us to operate trains under restricted conditions," another WR official said.
Mumbai-Bound Local Trains Operate Under Safety Restrictions
The disruption spilled into Monday's morning rush, when thousands of office-goers depend on suburban services to reach Mumbai. Up trains, which travel towards Churchgate, were required to pass signals displaying an A-marker as per prescribed railway safety procedures during signalling failures. This meant trains had to move with additional caution, affecting their speed and frequency.
Fast-line services bore a greater impact during peak hours, while some long-distance trains travelling in the up direction were also affected. With trains unable to maintain their usual speed and intervals, delays spread across the Virar-Churchgate corridor.
Railway technical teams were deployed to inspect the affected equipment and restore the signalling system. Officials said normal operations could resume only after the damaged cables and track circuits were attended to.
The incident has once again exposed the risks posed by firecrackers and dry vegetation along railway tracks. It also comes just days after a fire inside a signalling hut at Kanjurmarg station on the Central Railway disrupted suburban services, raising fresh concerns over the vulnerability of critical railway infrastructure to fire-related incidents.
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