A fire on a local train at Vashi station threw Harbour Line services out of gear in the morning peak hours on Wednesday. The fire occurred on the pantograph of a Panvel-bound train around 9.28 a.m. as the train was entering Vashi station.
According to Central Railway (CR) officials, a loud explosion-like sound was heard and several commuters jumped from the moving train, though no one was injured.
Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, CR, said a bag thrown by an unknown person on the overhead equipment led to a short circuit and caused the fire on the pantograph. “The fire was doused by our staff with the help of fire extinguishers. The train was held up at Vashi for 12 minutes, after which it was sent to the car shed for safety reasons.”
As a result, several trains in the direction of Panvel were bunched up. Services towards Panvel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus through the morning peak hours were at least 15 minutes late.
Mr. Sutar said they were trying to find the culprit, who was most likely close to the station.
