The Main Line of the Mumbai suburban network registered a delay due to a glitch in the signalling system, disturbing suburban train services near Vikhroli station on Thursday morning. The delay led to overcrowding at several stations during rush hour. The issue occurred around 7 am on the UP fast line, which heads towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), causing delays of about an hour for some trains.
Rajneesh Goyal, divisional railway manager of Central Railway’s Mumbai division, announced the delay on X, stating, “Due to some technical faults at UP through line near Vikhroli station local trains are held up hence some locals are running behind schedule time.” The fault was resolved by 8:05 am, but the disruption had already caused significant delays.
Commuters experienced delays of 20 to 30 minutes, resulting in overcrowded trains and stations. Some frustrated passengers resorted to walking on the tracks to reach the next station and find alternative transport to their destinations.
According to PTI, the disruption provoked strong reactions from commuters. Mandar Abhyankar expressed his frustration on Facebook, noting, “Central Railway trains are always punctual – if you consider being at least 20 minutes late every day as on time. And don’t expect any announcements about platform changes or cancellations; they like to keep things exciting!”
The Central Railway, which operates over 1,800 suburban services daily across the Raigad and Thane districts, serves more than 3 million commuters.