Mumbai suburban services has been severely affected twice in less than a week.
This time it is not the rains that has stalled trains, because of heavy rains but due to agitating mob which brought the trains to standstill by protesting at Badlapur station. An agitating mob of around 5,000 commuters stopped two trains — one going from Thane to Karjat and the other, from Karjat to CST — and protested about the regular delay in trains.
Services beyond Ambernath continued to remain affected and long-distance trains were diverted via the Karjat-Diva-Panvel route. Suburban passengers coming to CST complained that the trains were running 15 -25 minutes late.
The incident brings to mind that Diva railway protest that had paralysed the suburban railways for nearly 24hours in January 2015.
Meanwhile railway minister Suresh Prabhu tweeted an appeal to commuters, asking them to stop agitating and directed the general manager and divisional railway manager to Badlapur station.
A K Sing, public relation officer for central railways, said, “A Karjat bound local reached Badlapur station around 5.45am, 20 minutes later schedule. It was stuck at a signal at a level crossing near Bhivpuri station. There was no technical snag. However the commuters at Badlapur station halted the train and refuse to let it go. The train is still stuck there, three hours after the incident.
Rajesh Ghangav, president of Kalyan-Kasara and Karjat Passengers’ Association said, “Most days, we suffer taunts in office for being late because of the problems with the train. There are problems with the signals, snapping of overhead wires or technical snags, however passengers on this line are the ones who bear the brunt. Many of our co passengers in Karjat have demanded that the station authorities give them in writing that trains will not be late henceforth.”