05 October,2023 11:36 AM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Representative image/iStock
The Central Railway (CR) had to suspend Mumbai local train operations on the Trans-harbour line between Belapur and Panvel stations on Thursday morning.
According to the official, the suspension occurred because the scheduled rail works during the night block were not completed as expected.
Trains were not operational between Belapur (Navi Mumbai) and Panvel (Raigad) on the Trans-harbour line until 11 am to prevent train bunching.
A few of the commuters had to resort to using the Harbour Line trains between Belapur and Panvel stations, which were running approximately 15 minutes behind schedule.
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As per the officials, the suspension was attributed to a "block burst" caused by the non-completion of the planned work within the designated block period.
The Central Railway had initiated a five-day-long midnight block starting from 3 am to 5.30 am for post-commissioning work at Panvel EMU stabling sidings. The official stated that the block aimed to facilitate the parking of empty trains after their services.
CR's chief public relations officer Dr Shivraj Manaspure confirmed that suburban services on the Trans-harbour line were suspended between Belapur-Panvel due to a "block burst" (non-completion of scheduled work during block period).
"Trans-harbour locals will not run between Belapur and Panvel till 11 am today to avoid bunching at Panvel in view of some ongoing speed restrictions at Panvel due to yard remodelling work," he said.
"Thane-Panvel Trans-harbour locals are not running from Thane to Belapur till 11 am," the official added.
It marked the second instance in less than a week where commuters faced inconvenience due to such block bursts. Inadequate completion of scheduled works within the block period occurred earlier in the week, causing a delay of about four hours before suburban services resumed.
The absence of direct Trans-harbour trains between Belapur and Panvel left many commuters disgruntled, some of whom opted for the Harbour line trains despite their own delays of 15 to 20 minutes.
Commuters expressed concerns about financial losses incurred due to tardiness in reaching work.
(with inputs from PTI)
