Mumbai: Lakhs of commuters on the Harbour Line were stranded while returning to their homes when a transformer burnt near Reay Road station, resulting in cancellation of 25 trains and about 80 trains were delayed late on Monday afternoon. A snag in the overhead equipment (OHE) stalled trains between Reay Road station and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), delaying trains by 40 minutes and disrupting services.
The technical issue took place at 5.45 pm and there were no trains on the Harbour Line for over an hour, leading to crowded railway stations. Even after a trouble, the railway authorities failed to make any announcements, much to the frustration of the commuters.
“There was a problem in the overhead equipment between Reay Road and CSMT, which was rectified at 6.35pm. All the services were restored between CSMT and Wadala immediately after the fix,” said Sunil Udasi, the chief public relations officer, Central Railway.
“Harbour Line travellers have been promised an elevated corridor. Until our daily struggle ends, we have to manage with just one slow line. We have no other option, like those available to the Central and Western lines passengers,” said Arpika Bhosale, a Kharghar resident.
She added Harbour Line commuters have been treated stepmotherly for years. “The fact is Navi Mumbai is one of the best suburbs to live in and the proposed airport is also one of its kind. It’s high time the Railways catch up with Navi Mumbai,” said Bhosale. Meanwhile, another incident was reported on the CR Main line, where trains were delayed by 15 minutes in the afternoon, inconveniencing commuters.
