Harbour Line services of Central Railway were disrupted during the busy morning rush hour on Saturday due to an overhead equipment (OHE) failure between Mankhurd and Vashi on the Down line. Hundreds of commuters were forced to walk on the tracks as trains came to a halt.
About The OHE Defect
According to Central Railway officials, the OHE defect was reported around 7:30 am, leading to the suspension of train services between Chembur and Vashi. The disruption lasted for approximately two hours, with services being restored by 9:30 am.
During this period, shuttle services were operated between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Chembur, CSMT and Kurla, and between Vashi and Panvel. However, passengers still faced significant inconvenience as a result of the disruption.
A Senior Official Of The Central Railway Speaks On The Impact Of The Failure
A senior official from Central Railway explained that while the failure occurred on the Down line, it also caused cascading effects on the Up line, severely impacting services. "Due to the extent of the disruption, we decided to run shuttle services and allow passengers on the Harbour Line to travel via the main line using the same ticket," the official added. Additionally, passengers were permitted to use the Trans harbour Line to mitigate the inconvenience caused by the breakdown.
Central Railway Takes To Social Media Platform 'X' To Apologize For The Inconvenience Caused
In response to the situation, Central Railway issued a statement on 'X' apologizing for the inconvenience and thanking passengers for their understanding and cooperation during the disruption.
Meanwhile, in a reply to the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM), a regular commuter suggested running additional fast trains between Vashi and Thane via trans harobr line, and Thane to CSMT, during such situations. The commuter also recommended considering direct Vashi-CSMT trains to prevent overloading on the main line suburban trains, particularly at key stations like Ghatkopar, Kurla, Dadar, and Byculla that serve Harbour Line passengers.
