Train derailment disrupts CR services

Mumbai: The derailment of one wheel of the Mangala Express at Kalyan led to over 50 services being cancelled and 150 services being delayed on the Central Railway (CR). There was no injury in the incident but the fast trains from Kalyan in both directions were shut for over an hour, affecting the evening suburban peak with a 15-minute delay.

The derailment was reported at 2.18 pm and though the engine was re-railed by 3.15 pm it took another 15 minutes for the first fast train towards CST as well as the Karjat and Kasara section to begin.

CR’s Chief Public Relations Officer, Sunil Udasi said, “No passengers were injured and only 15 services were fully cancelled, while there were eight partial cancellations.”

The CR has been hit with delay and cancellations since Tuesday due to water logging and washing away off tracks in Mankhurd, but it’s has been particularly down on its luck with the spate of engine failures.

The engines of goods and passenger trains have been failing in its far-off suburban corridors-namely Kalyan to Karjat and Kasara. This section has the peculiarity of the only section in the CR’s mainline with a single track for trains towards CST and a single track for trains towards Kalyan/Kasara.

An official said, “If the engine of a train fails in the Kalyan-Kasara/Karjat section the line is completely blocked and we can’t move anything unless the train is removed from there.” He further added, “At the same time the Kalyan to CST section has a fast track, if a failure takes place on one, we can easily divert trains on to another track.”

Past incidents

• June 30: Goods train fails at Kurla on the Harbour line for 15 minutes at 2.00 pm
• June 28: Servies on the Kalyan-Karjat were hit from 11.30 am to 1.30 pm after the engine of a goods train failed, trains were run up to Titwala until the train was cleared.
• June 27: North East, that is between Kalyan to Kasara section was shut off from 2.30 pm to 3.00 pm after the engine of the Kamyani Express failed near Atgaon, this caused delays of almost 10 long distance trains.