Central Railway (CR) has announced that it will conduct special traffic and power blocks during the nights of October 12-13 and October 13-14 to facilitate the launching of girders for the Carnac Road Overbridge (ROB) between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Masjid stations. In a release issued on Friday, CR stated that the block on October 12-13 will last six hours, while the one on October 13-14 will last three hours.
The block will impact suburban train services on the Main and Harbour lines. During the block periods, suburban trains will remain suspended between Byculla and CSMT on the Main Line, and between Vadala Road and CSMT on the Harbour Line. Commuters travelling during this time must plan accordingly, as services will be short-terminated at stations like Byculla, Parel, Kurla, and Vadala Road.
The block will also affect long-distance mail and express trains, with many being short-terminated at Dadar and Panvel, while some services are rescheduled or cancelled entirely. This is expected to cause inconvenience to passengers, especially those travelling late at night. CR has advised passengers to start their journeys earlier than usual, particularly on Saturday night, as the last local trains will depart much earlier than their regular schedule.
The Carnac ROB, a key east-west connector in South Mumbai, was demolished a few years ago and is currently being rebuilt. Despite the blocks, CR has assured that there will be no mega block on the suburban network this Sunday. These traffic blocks are crucial for the timely completion of the reconstruction project, which aims to improve connectivity in the region.
(With agency inputs)