Central railway services go off track again after rail fracture at Chinchpokli

CST wore a deserted look after trains failed to arrive on time today. Pic /Bipin Kokate

A minor rail fracture at Chinchpokli station this morning affected services on the Central Railway (CR) line, inconveniencing thousands of commuters. Trains running towards Thane/Kalyan on the slow line were hit badly after the fracture was detected, forcing all services starting from CST to come to a halt.

The rail facture was found to be a minor one and the damaged portion was quickly replaced. According to railway sources, though it was a minor fracture, the authorities didn't want to take a risk as the crack could have widened and caused severe damage.

"The rail fracture was detected at around 8.10 am. But, operations resumed by 8.35 am," said AK Singh, spokesperson, Central Railway.

Due to the fracture, trains running towards Kalyan were delayed by 10-15 minutes. Even CST-bound trains were running late by 10 minutes. CR officials added the situation on the Thane-Kalyan stretch is worrisome due to the speed restrictions, which have to be maintained inside the Parsik tunnel. This has been hampering the train's punctuality for a month.

Two days ago, people at Titwala staged a rail roko protesting the delay in train services. Commuters in Ambernath have also threatened to go on a similar protest.