Services on the Central line of Mumbai suburban rail network took a hit on Tuesday due to heavy rains, with services being suspended on the fast track for over an hour. The resulting pressure on the slow lines caused major delays and angry commuters spilled out on the tracks at the Diva railway station. A landslide alert near Mumbra further added to the delays.
Railway officials said that there was heavy water logging at Mazgaon, Vidyavihar, Vikhroli, Bhandup and Thane, and services on the up and down fast lines had to be suspended between 5:55 am and 7:00 am. All services were diverted to the slow lines and trains were running delayed till late on Tuesday morning.
Hundreds of commuters subsequently gathered on the tracks and climbed into approaching trains, and a few stones were also pelted. Senior Railway Police officials as well as officials from the Railway administration rushed to the spot to placate the people, while the Railway Police contacted the Thane City Police for seeking additional reinforcements as a precautionary measure.
Further, trains were running at a speed of 30 kmph as they passed the Parsik Hill near Mumbra due to a landslide alert.
"There is a state government facility on the hill and we have been informed that it's retaining wall is unsafe. Hence, we are running trains at a restricted speed in this area," a railway official said.
