Mumbai's Western Railway Network Faces Morning Disruptions Due to Track Failures

Mumbai's Western Railway network experienced disruptions on Tuesday morning due to 'points failures' at Santacruz and Bhayandar stations. These failures, affecting the movable pieces of track, were restored within an hour. However, the issue caused significant delays, leading to overcrowding and commuter complaints during rush hour.

Local train services on Mumbai's Western Railway network faced major disruptions on Tuesday morning owing to 'points failures' at Santacruz and Bhayandar stations, officials confirmed.

A points failure refers to a malfunction in the movable pieces of track or their operating equipment that allow trains to switch tracks. The affected track points at both locations were restored within an hour, officials reported.

Commuters, however, experienced delays of 25 to 30 minutes, resulting in severe overcrowding on trains and at railway stations. This led to a challenging rush hour for office-goers and other passengers. 'As suburban services were impacted, the crowd at Virar station has significantly increased,' noted a daily commuter. A Western Railway spokesperson revealed that the points failure at Bhayandar station occurred at 5 am and was fixed by 5.45 am, while the fault at Santacruz station, which happened at 5.20 am, was rectified by 5.50 am.

Western Railway operates over 1,300 suburban services, transporting nearly 35 lakh commuters daily between Churchgate in South Mumbai and Dahanu in Palghar district.

(With inputs from agencies.)