Mumbai: Mumbai’s Western Railway, one of the busiest and reliable commuter corridors in the city, came to a grinding halt on Tuesday morning as relentless overnight rains triggered severe waterlogging, leading to the suspension of local train services between Virar and Vasai. The disruption, announced in the early hours, left thousands of suburban commuters stranded during peak rush. However, Western Railway issued an update on the situation.
“Due to heavy rains, local train services between Virar and Vasai are suspended until further notice. In case of emergency, dial 1512,” the Government Railway Police (GRP) Mumbai said in an advisory posted on X. The announcement immediately sparked chaos in the northern suburbs, where local trains are the only dependable means of daily travel for lakhs of residents.
However, the GRP post was soon deleted, with commuters left clueless. The Western Railway later issued an update saying all the lines on WR Mumbai Suburban section are operational with trains running with delay of 10-15 minutes.
Harbour Line Services Suspended
Meanwhile, on the Harbour Line, operations between Chunnabhatti (CLA) and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) were halted after tracks at Chunnabhatti station were inundated. Together, the breakdowns left commuters across the city battling long delays, crowded stations, and the uncertainty of when services would resume.
Visuals from across the network painted a grim picture. At Dadar, one of Mumbai’s busiest interchange stations, waterlogged tracks slowed trains to a crawl and stranded commuters jostled for space on packed platforms. On the Andheri–Jogeshwari stretch, floodwaters engulfed the tracks, forcing services to grind to a halt altogether.
Meanwhile, in Thane and Kalwa, fed-up passengers clambered down onto the railway lines and began walking in groups, determined to reach their destinations despite the danger.
IMD Issues Nowcast Warning
Amid the disruption, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a nowcast warning at 10:15 am, predicting intense spells of rain with gusty winds of 40–50 kmph, gusting up to 60 kmph, over Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, and the ghats of Pune during the next three to four hours.
