Rain damage: 2nd railway line in Bhor ghat on Mumbai-Pune route likely to be restored by night

Mumbai, Jul 8 (PTI) The second of the three railway lines in the Bhor Ghat section of Pune-Mumbai route, affected by multiple landslides, is expected to be restored by Wednesday night, the Central Railway said. Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said track restoration work was progressing on a war footing, with hundreds of workers deployed to clear debris and repair the damaged tracks. Torrential rains in the area triggered several landslides over the past two days. Nila said operations on the middle line in the ghat section were restored around 10.30 pm on Tuesday. Till Wednesday noon, as many as 11 long-distance trains had passed on the restored line, he added. "The second line is expected to be restored and opened for traffic by tonight," he said, adding that restoration of the third line is likely to take more time as it has suffered extensive damage. Train services between Mumbai and Pune had come to a halt on Monday following landslides between Thakurwadi Cabin and Monkey Hill Cabin in the Bhor Ghat section, one of the steepest railway ghat sections in the country. The services between Neral and Karjat stations in Raigad district remained suspended between 10.40 am and 11.32 am on Wednesday after the overflowing Ulhas river caused waterlogging on tracks. No trains operated in either direction between 10.40 am and 11.32 am, said Nila. The Ulhas river had been flowing above the danger level since 7.30 am amid heavy rains in its catchment areas, he said. Earlier in the day, suburban services on a section of the Central Railway network were delayed after ballast beneath the tracks was washed away between Neral and Shelu stations. PTI KK NR KRK