Mumbai-Pune rail disruption: CR cancels 30 trains till Jul 17; MSRTC to run 200 additional buses

Mumbai, Jul 10 (PTI) Rail connectivity on the Mumbai-Pune corridor will remain crippled till July 17, as the Central Railway has cancelled 30 long-distance and intercity trains, following landslides on the Bhor Ghat section, officials said on Friday. Heavy, torrential downpours on July 6 triggered multiple landslides between Karjat and Lonavala stations, severely damaging all three railway lines. The landslides mainly occurred at the Thakurwadi and Monkey Hill cabins on the ghat section. While restoration work is underway on a war footing, difficult terrain and dangerous working conditions are delaying the full resumption of normal services, officials said. The Central Railway, in a release, said it has cancelled 30 train services, including 14 daily trains, eight services on specified dates and eight special trains. It announced the temporary cancellation of daily trains, including the Deccan Queen, Deccan Express, Intercity Express services between Mumbai and Pune, the CSMT-Hyderabad Express, Chennai Egmore Superfast Mail and the Hubbali-Dadar Express, from July 10 to July 17. Apart from this, trains such as the Mahalaxmi Express, Jodhpur-Hadapsar Express, Dadar-Satara Express and Dadar-Sainagar Shirdi Express have been cancelled on specified dates during the period. Several special trains connecting Mumbai and Pune with Gorakhpur, Ghazipur City and Hazrat Nizamuddin have also been cancelled, the release stated. Meanwhile, state transport minister Pratap Sarnaik on Friday said Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation will operate 200 additional bus trips daily on the Mumbai-Pune route from Saturday to ease passenger inconvenience due to the train cancellations. Sarnaik said MSRTC will operate the additional services alongside its scheduled 312 e-Shivneri bus trips between Mumbai and Pune. A release said MSRTC depots and regional offices have been directed to operate more buses, if required, depending on passenger demand, to ensure commuters do not face inconvenience. "MSRTC has always stood by people during times of crisis. The corporation is fully geared up to ensure uninterrupted travel for passengers affected by the disruption in railway services," the minister said. Passenger safety, convenience and timely services remain our top priority, and additional buses will be deployed wherever necessary, he added. The additional bus services are expected to provide relief to thousands of passengers travelling between Mumbai and Pune until normal railway operations resume, officials said. Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday reviewed the restoration work and noted that the landslides were "heavy" and had caused "significant" damage to the railway lines and the surrounding area. The Mumbai-Pune route has three tracks in the difficult Bhor Ghat section or Khandala Ghat — the Up Line (towards Mumbai), the Down Line (towards Pune), and a Middle Line. According to officials, transporting construction material to some locations remains a challenge, and railway teams are coordinating with the district administration and the forest department to restore the lines at the earliest. One of the three railway lines has been restored, and work is underway on the other two, they said. "Senior officers at the site are closely monitoring the restoration work, and all efforts are being made to normalise train services at the earliest," the release stated. Passengers have been advised to contact the railway helpline or check the NTES app for information. Regular updates are also being shared through the railway's official social media platforms, it added. PTI KK ARU BNM