Central Railway cancels multiple trains as landslide restoration continues in Lonavala-Karjat Ghat
Mumbai, July 9
The Central Railway announced the cancellation, rescheduling, and short-termination of several key train services for July 9 and 10 as restoration efforts continue on a war footing following a massive landslide in the Lonavala-Karjat ghat section.
While officials confirmed that the middle line of the three-line ghat section was declared safe on the evening of July 7, work to restore the remaining two lines remains in a critical phase. According to a press release, over 1,100 workers have been deployed to clear the affected stretch, where a 6-km section of the Up line has already been restored.
Due to the ongoing technical operations, several prominent train services have been impacted.
12124 Pune-CSMT Deccan Queen, 12123 CSMT-Pune Deccan Queen, 11007 CSMT-Pune Deccan Express, 11008 Pune-CSMT Deccan Express, 12127 CSMT-Pune Intercity Express, 12128 Pune-CSMT Intercity Express, and 11042 Sainagar Shirdi-Dadar Express were cancelled for July 9:
11027 Dadar-Satara Express was cancelled for July 10. It also announced service adjustments. The 11301 CSMT-Bengaluru Express (July 9) has been short-originated and will depart from Pune instead of CSMT.
Additionally, several trains, including the CSMT-Howrah Express, Hadapsar-Nanded Express, Pune-Ernakulam Express, and Pune-Ahmedabad Express, have been rescheduled for early Thursday departure.
Despite the widespread disruptions, Central Railway noted that some previously affected services, such as the Chennai-CSMT Express, Chennai-LTT Express, Bengaluru-CSMT Express, and Bhubaneswar-CSMT Express, have resumed their normal routes. Previously, many services were diverted via the Thane-Diva-Panvel-Karjat route to maintain connectivity.
The landslide, which followed a strong spell of monsoon rains, also blocked vehicular movement on the road leading to Rajmachi Fort on July 5, necessitating extensive debris clearance operations by earth movers.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has maintained an alert, forecasting "generally cloudy sky with moderate rain" to continue across the Tehsil Mawal region in Pune district through July 10. Central Railway has advised passengers to utilise the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) for real-time updates before beginning their journeys.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Being from the US, I find it impressive that over 1,100 workers are deployed. That's a massive effort. But also a reminder of how vulnerable mountain railways are to monsoon rains in India. Stay safe, everyone!
It's good that they're working continuously, but why no proper warning to passengers earlier? Many people had to scramble for alternate travel arrangements. The NTES system should have sent alerts proactively. 😠
We were supposed to take the Pune-Ahmedabad Express tomorrow. Now it's rescheduled for 4 AM departure. That's not convenient at all. But I guess safety first. Hoping the ghat section becomes operational soon! 🙏
Deccan Express and Deccan Queen cancelled! These are lifelines for Pune-Mumbai corridor. The landslide is serious, but railway also needs to have contingency plans like temporary bus services or special trains via alternate routes. This affects thousands of jobs.
I've driven through that Lonavala-Karjat ghat section many times. The road to Rajmachi Fort is already tricky in dry weather, so with landslides it must be a nightmare. Appreciate the earth movers working day and night. Jai Maharashtra! 🇮🇳
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