Central Railway's 63-hr block: Mumbai's suburban services grind to a halt as 930 local trains cancelled

Commuters using Central Railway's suburban and long-distance services continue to face disruptions due to the ongoing mega block aimed at platform widening at Thane station. The block, which started on Friday midnight, has led to the cancellation of 72 Mail Express trains and 956 suburban train services from May 31 to June 2. Additionally, the routes of many trains have been changed for the duration of the block.

The Maharashtra government on Friday permitted all public service vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to carry out stage carriage operations during the mega block, an official said.

Changes in Train Services and Routes

During the mega block, the Railways has requested the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to deploy additional buses for passenger convenience. Approximately 1800 local trains run daily across Mumbai's four corridors: Main, Harbour, Trans-Harbour, and Uran, catering to over 30 lakh commuters.

Impact on Local Train Services
The railway has scheduled to cancel 930 local trains, including 161 on Friday (May 31), 534 on Saturday (June 1), and 235 on Sunday (June 2). Various mail-express and suburban trains will be short-terminated and short-originated from Wadala, Dadar, Thane, Pune, Panvel, and Nashik stations.

Maharashtra Government Permits Public Service Vehicles to Operate
The Maharashtra government allowed all public service vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to carry out stage carriage operations during the block. An official stated, "The government issued a notification in the afternoon, more than 12 hours after the 63-hour block commenced, permitting public service vehicles, including buses, taxis, and autorickshaws, to ferry passengers from any point." This permission was granted under section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988.

Measures to Ease Commuter Woes
Another transport department official mentioned that taxis, auto rickshaws, and contract carriage buses could pick up and drop passengers at multiple locations as per the notification. Commuters complained of delays up to 30 minutes, packed local trains, and overcrowding at major stations due to the block, which aimed to widen platforms 5 and 6 at Thane station. CR announced the cancellation of at least six long-distance trains and 161 local services on Friday due to the block.

Appeals and Alternative Arrangements
Railway authorities urged commuters to avoid suburban train journeys if not necessary. They also appealed to public and private establishments to allow their employees to work from home or provide alternate transport during the block, besides asking state and municipal transport bodies to run extra buses. A senior official stated that during the block between Friday and Sunday, 72 long-distance and 930 suburban services would remain cancelled.

Progress on Work and Future Expectations
A CR spokesperson mentioned, "The track slewing work at Thane station has been completed. Tamping and blasting of the track are currently in progress. The up slow line was declared fit at 8.04 am, well ahead of its scheduled time of 12.30 pm." The official added that local trains, considered Mumbai's lifeline, were running 15 to 20 minutes behind schedule, but the situation was expected to improve by 10.30 am.

Completion of Mega Block Work
The mega block work, which started on Friday, is expected to finish on Sunday at 3.30 PM. Railway authorities are working to minimize disruptions and have advised commuters to plan their journeys accordingly.