Thane-Vashi Train Disruption: Girder Tilt Halts Services, MMRDA, Railways Blame Technical Glitch

Thousands of commuters faced inconvenience on Friday morning after the Central Railway suspended its local train services between Thane and Vashi, stating that a girder launched for a bridge was found to be tilted. However, according to Central Railways, services on the Trans Harbour line were restored at 11:30 am, but passengers claimed that trains were running behind schedule until late afternoon. 

The girder had been launched for a bridge being constructed between Thane and Airoli stations. Commuters said the sudden suspension of all suburban services on the route between Thane and Navi Mumbai forced them to look for other modes of transport, including buses and autos, to reach their workplaces. Suburban trains are considered the lifeline of Mumbai.

Due to the disruption of suburban trains on the Trans-Harbour line, large crowds were reported at stations including Thane, Vashi, Nerul, and other stops along the route. Not only were stations overcrowded, but outside the stations, people were seen scrambling to find cabs or rickshaws.

According to a senior railway official, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had taken a block for girder launching between 1:00 am and 4:00 am on Friday for the new Airoli-Katai Naka link road. However, it was noticed that one of the girders had tilted. Considering commuter safety, suburban services on the Trans Harbour line were suspended from 7:10 am, with services being restored at 11:30 am.

"#MMRDA had taken a #block from 01:00 to 04:00 at night on the Trans Harbour line to launch girders between Thane and Airoli. It has been noticed that the girders launched are tilted. Traffic has been suspended from 07:10 hours because of this," posted the divisional railway manager of Central Railways Mumbai division on X.

Due to the suspension of trains on the Trans Harbour line between Thane, Vashi, and Panvel, TMT ran extra buses from Thane and Ghodbunder to Belapur and other destinations.

According to sources, nearly 50 additional buses ran on routes between Thane-Vashi, Nerul-Thane, Panvel-Thane, and Vashi-Thane. Besides that, auto drivers charged their own prices. Sudhakar Kamble from Airoli said, "Rikshaw drivers were charging more than double during the morning rush hour."

Mumbai Pravasi Sangh posted on X, "Avoid train travel on the #Vashi - #Thane route. Go by bus or sharing auto, etc." (sic)

Abhay Maniyar posted on X, "[@Navimumpolice] request to provide support and help to the public on the roads adjacent to railway stations since there is crowd, confusion, and congestion of autos, two-wheelers, and private cars due to the cancellation of local trains on the Thane-Vashi route."

A local commuter, Ghanshyam, with the X handle @ghaniahuja, posted on Friday at 12:15 pm: "Main line local trains are late by 45 minutes since morning. No announcements. Harbour line trains are late. No announcements. Trans Harbour also late. How are all 3 local lines delayed? Are motormen protesting against the proposed CCTV in their cabins? Why are common people being taken to task?" (sic)

However, the railway claimed that proper announcements were made regarding the issue, but passengers claimed that due to a lack of information, they were confused in the morning.

Another social media user, Abhiruchi, posted on X, "What is the issue with Central Railway and Harbour line? Nobody knows the reason. We request that at least each station be informed about the reason so that people can make their decisions. Everybody is clueless about what is going on."

When contacted, an MMRDA official said, "As part of the Airoli-Katai Naka elevated road project, MMRDA had undertaken the critical task of launching 10 girders to improve regional connectivity. While 9 girders were successfully launched by Monday, during the placement of the 10th girder over the Trans Harbour Railway Line, a technical issue led to a tilt. MMRDA’s team responded immediately, and the girder has now been safely secured and locked in position as per railway safety protocols. All necessary precautions were followed, and coordination with the railway authorities ensured that the situation was promptly stabilized."

"We sincerely regret the inconvenience caused to commuters and appreciate your patience. MMRDA remains firmly committed to safety, transparency, and timely execution of all its infrastructure projects," the MMRDA official further added.