Mumbai Local Train Services Hit Due to Points Failures at Santacruz and Bhayandar Stations

Mumbai: Local train services on Mumbai's Western Railway network were disrupted on Tuesday morning due to "points failures" at Santacruz and Bhayandar stations, officials said. A points failure refers to a fault with the movable pieces of track or their operating equipment that enable trains to change tracks.

Officials reported that the failed track changing points at both locations were restored in less than an hour. However, commuters experienced delays of 25 to 30 minutes, leading to overcrowding on trains and at railway stations, especially during rush hour. Office-goers and other passengers faced significant inconvenience. "As suburban services were hit, the crowd at Virar station swelled," said a daily commuter who travels to Churchgate for work.

A Western Railway spokesperson detailed the incidents, noting that the points failure at Bhayandar station occurred at 5 am and was restored by 5:45 am. The fault at Santacruz station took place at 5:20 am and was rectified by 5:50 am.

Earlier in the day, there was a major train accident involving the Howrah-CSTM Express. The derailment occurred at 3:45 AM near Chakradharpur in Jharkhand, affecting various trains across the network. Eighteen coaches of the Howrah-CSTM Express derailed between Rajkharsawan and Badabambo stations, resulting in two deaths and multiple injuries. 

This incident led to the cancellation of several trains, including the 22861 Howrah to Kantabaji Express, 08015 and 18019 Kharagpur to Dhanbad Express, and 12021-12022 Howrah-Barabil Express. Additionally, trains were short-terminated, causing further disruptions and delays in services.