Delays continue on Harbour Line, CR finds defective ‘tongue rail’
Trains were running late by an average 30-45 minutes throughout the day due to a speed restriction of 10 kmph
Mumbai: Harbour line services continued to be a mess on Thursday, as authorities scrambled to fix a defective portion of a track near the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) that led to two derailments earlier this week.
Trains were running late by an average 30-45 minutes throughout the day due to a speed restriction of 10 kmph imposed at the crossover point for platforms 1 and 2 at CSMT, where the two derailments had occurred. A crossover point is where the trains switch tracks.
“My train was waiting for more than 20-25 minutes between Sewri and Wadala stations. It was not only crowded but ran very late,” said Vidhusha V, a Vashi resident who reached her office two hours late as a result of the delay. “The train was running very slow. I had to alight at Wadala as it stopped for almost 30 minutes. I then took a bus for CSMT,” said Rahul Singh, a resident of Tilak Nagar.
CR will be carrying out a railway block on Thursday night to pack up the gaps and strengthen the crossover portion. Once this is done, the original speed limit of 30 kmph will become applicable. Ram Karan Yadav, general manager of Central Railway, assured that Harbour line services between CSMT and Panvel/Goregaon will run normally on Friday.
Meanwhile, a six-member inquiry committe set up by CR found that the May 1 derailment of an empty rail on a trial run occurred due to a defective “tongue rail”. After a Panvel-CSMT train ferrying passengers derailed while switching tracks on April 29, CR authorities had fitted the tongue rail — a portion of a crossover rail that enables trains to switch tracks — as part of the overhauling work.
According to Yadav, the crossover point leading to platforms 1 and 2, which service the Harbour line, has been problematic because it has a steep curve of 7.5 degrees. “We have been replacing the tongue rail every month on this crossover as it is heavily used. Usually, at other locations, it is replaced every one-and-half years. This tongue rail was found to be defective in this case,” he said.
Yadav, who visited the site on Thursday morning, added that he has suggested long-term changes to address this problem. The crossover point, which is very close to platforms 1 and 2, will have to be moved further towards Masjid station so that the curve isn’t so steep.