The Central Railway has announced to operate a 63-hour mega block starting from midnight on May 30 to facilitate platform extension works on the Mumbai network. Due to the mega block over 900 local trains will be cancelled for this weekend, affecting the work schedule of lakhs of commuters.
As per the press release by the Central Railway’s Mumbai division, “A 63-hour mega block for the widening of platform nos 5 and 6 (in Thane) will start from Thursday midnight while a 36-hour block for the works related to the extension of platform nos 10 and 11 (at CSMT) will kick in from Friday midnight.”
Important railway tracks to be closed
According to Central Railway, a total of 930 local train services will be cancelled during the mega block at CSMT and Thane. It includes 161 services on Friday, 534 on Saturday, and 235 on Sunday. As per the Indian Express report, this will impact the following sections:
- UP Slow Line: From Kalva (including CSMT end crossovers) to Thane (all crossovers).
- DN Fast Line: From Thane (all crossovers) to Kalva (all crossovers).
- UP Fast Line: From Kalva (all crossovers) to Thane (all crossovers).
Additionally, a 36-hour block at CSMT will commence at 12:30 AM on June 1 and continue until 12:30 PM on June 2. Services will be halted between CSMT and Byculla, as well as between CSMT and Vadala Road, affecting the following lines:
- UP and DOWN Harbour Lines: Between CSMT (including) and Vadala Road (excluding).
- UP and DOWN Slow Lines: Between CSMT (including) and Byculla (excluding).
- UP and DOWN Fast Lines: Between CSMT (including) and Byculla (excluding).
Alternative options for commuters
In total 72 mail-express trains and 956 suburban trains on the main and Harbour corridors will be halted from Friday to Sunday, according to Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of Central Railway. The Central Railway has requested the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to operate extra buses for the convenience of passengers.
It has also requested companies to allow Work From Home (WFH) for the following days to reduce daily commuters.
During the block period, Central Railway will short-terminate and short-originate both local and long-distance trains at Dadar, Thane, Wadala, Nasik, and Panvel stations. The Railways will short-terminate 444 suburban services: seven on Friday, 306 on Saturday, and 131 on Sunday. Additionally, 446 local train services will originate from various stations, with 307 on Saturday and 139 on Sunday.