Local train derails in Thane, daily commuters face travel woes

Mumbai: Five coaches of Kurla-Ambernath suburban train derailed on Thursday between Kalyan and Vitthalwadi stations in neighbouring Thane district, disrupting services on the busy Central Line and causing hardships to a large number of daily commuters during the morning rush hours.

No injury or casualty was reported in the mishap that took place around 5.53 am when five coaches of Ambernath-bound Kurla local train skidded off from the track, thus forcing the Central Railway to suspend suburban services between Kalyan and Ambernath stations and divert some long distance trains.

"Immediately after getting information about the derailment, our team of engineers and other staff rushed to the spot to restore the services. Services in the Up direction (from Karjat side to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai) was re-railed at 9.23 am," CR spokesman AK Singh said.

At around 12.20 pm, all the five derailed coaches were put back on the tracks, he said.

CR general manager DK Sharma rushed to the mishap site and instructed officials to expedite the restoration operations so as to handle the evening peak hour rush.

The services between Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Kalyan in Thane were on while shuttle services were operated between Ambernath and Karjat.

However, due to disruption of the services, many commuters faced difficulties in reaching their work places and they had to travel in over-crowded trains. Some people who board the trains daily from the stations which got affected due to the derailment could not reach their offices.

Expressing regret over the incident, Sharma told reporters here that, "Restoration work is in full progress and we hope to restore both Up and Down lines before the evening peak hour rush."

Meanwhile, long distance trains like CST-Pune Deccan Queen and CST-Pune Intercity Express were cancelled for the day while 19 other long distance trains were diverted via Thane-Diva-Panvel-Karjat route, a CR release said.

The Central Railway requested the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) to run extra buses between Kalyan and Ambernath to ease woes of the commuters.

According to another senior CR official, due to the derailment, some overhead equipment and sleepers on the tracks got damaged and efforts were on to repair it.

He also said that the cause of the derailment would be ascertained after an inquiry into it.