290 passengers rescued from two stranded trains in Mumbai

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) rescued 290 passengers from two local trains stranded on flooded tracks between the CSMT and Sandhurst Road station here on Wednesday, said a Central Railway spokesperson. The city was battered by incessant rains during the day.

Two local trains -- one heading in the direction of Karjat in the north and another heading for Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai -- came to a standstill in chest-high water around 4 pm.

The joint operation was over at 10 pm with all the passengers rescued, said Shivaji Sutar, chief spokesperson of the Central Railway. While the NDRF rescued 39 passengers using inflated boats, the RPF rescued 251 passengers, he said.

At Masjid station, the water was above the platform level and it was impossible for the stranded passengers to get down and walk because of the drainage channels along the tracks, he said. Both Central and Western lines witnessed heavy water-logging on tracks due to heavy rains. Early in the morning, Western Railway services were badly hit due to waterlogging between Virar and Dahanu.