Mumbai local train update: Local train services disrupted on Central line after bamboo falls on overhead wire

Visuals surfaced showing commuters walking on the tracks

Commuters in Mumbai faced significant disruptions on Wednesday as local train services on the Central Railway network were impacted by technical issues caused by bamboo from a construction site falling onto the overhead wire between Sion and Matunga stations.

As a result, the fast local train services remained held up between Sion and Matunga stations for almost an hour, causing hardships for office-goers and others.

According to an Mumbai local train update by the Senior Divisional Operations Manager (Coaching) of the Mumbai Division, Central Railway, bamboo from a construction site fell onto the overhead equipment (OHE) wire between Sion and Matunga stations on the UP TH line, disrupting suburban services.

The services on the up fast local line were restored. "The bamboo pole that had fallen on the overhead equipment between Sion and Matunga was removed at 8:25, and traffic on the up fast local line has been restored," Dr. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said.

Visuals surfaced on the internet showing commuters walking on the tracks as train movement was halted for a long time. Many commuters took to X to share updates regarding the issue, while others shared information in the chat section of the M-Indicator App.

According to reports, local train services were delayed by 15 minutes.

"A local train in the up direction was stranded for nearly 35 minutes (7:45 am to 8:20 am) on the up fast line due to the overhead wire issue. A few trains were diverted to the slow line after this, resulting in a nearly 15-minute delay for all local trains," Central Railway officials told news agency ANI while sharing Mumbai local train update.

Local trains are considered lifelines of Mumbai. More than 70 lakh commuters use the services operated by the Central Railway and the Western Railway. The local trains operated by the Central Railway ferry about 35 lakh suburban commuters everyday through 1,810 suburban services on four corridors namely the Main line, the Harbour line, the Trans-Harbour line and the Belapur-Uran line.