Heavy rains in Maharashtra triggered landslides in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section early on Monday leading to suspension of train services on the busy Mumbai-Pune route.
Officials quoted by PTI informed that a landslide occurred near Thakurwadi in the ghat section. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway said that another landslide was reported on the middle line between Khandala and Monkey Hill at around 3.05 am.
Amid the landslides and heavy rains, all the three railway lines have been impacted, forcing Central Railway to cancel, divert and regulate several long-distance trains.
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The Mumbai-Pune railway route has three tracks in the Bhor Ghat section (Khandala Ghat): the Up line (towards Mumbai), Down line (towards Pune), and a Middle line.
"Due to incessant heavy rainfall in the South East Ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala, a landslide occurred between Thakurvadi and Monkey Hill Loop Cabin on the Up Main Line of Mumbai Division," Nila told the news agency.
Several trains, including the CSMT-Pune Indrayani Express, Intercity Express, Deccan Express, Deccan Queen, Pragati Express and Dhule Express, were cancelled due to the disruptions. Additional services, including the Pune-CSMT Sinhagad Express and other trains, were also cancelled, while several long-distance trains were diverted, short-terminated, short-originated or rescheduled amid the bad weather and landslides, officials said.
Railway authorities affirmed that restoration work is underway, advising passengers to check the latest train status before commencing their journey.
Minister of Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the situation and asked both Western and Central Railway officers to work as one team to ensure early restoration of all train services.
"Reviewed the situation arising out of heavy landslides and boulders falling onto the railway tracks in the Mumbai-Pune ghat section. The team is fully geared up for restoration. Heavy rainfall is expected today also. Have asked both Western and Central Railway officers to work as one team to ensure early restoration of all train services," Vaishnaw said.
For passenger assistance, Central Railway has set up helplines at major stations.
The helpline numbers are: CSMT (022-22694040), Thane (9321336747), Lonavala (8356854238) and Dadar (9136452387). The authorities have urged passengers to use these numbers for real-time updates and travel-related information.
Also read: Six killed, one injured in Mankhurd chawl collapse amid heavy rain in Mumbai; rescue ops underway
Pune-Mumbai traffic diverted amid landslide near ‘Missing Link’ tunnel exit
Following a landslide near the exit of ‘Missing Link’ Tunnel 2, the authorities diverted the traffic on the Pune to Mumbai carriageway of the Khopoli-Kusgaon alignment.
Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRDC) announced that a traffic diversion has been in place since 4 am on Monday as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of commuters.
