Central Railway milestone: 3,000th mega block today

Mega block is a weekly procedure

As the Central Railway marks its much-debated 3,000th mega block today, commuters and commuter organisations are debating whether they have been useful for the overall system.

A mega block is a weekly planned work on a section of rail track to strengthen the assets and replace the wear and tear of parts. It also gives the railways time to recalibrate and boost electrical assets and remove expired and used old rail tracks and masts from the working system.

"There is a mega block every week, but what improvement has happened so far? We still hear about rail fractures and overhead wire failures. It [mega block] is just an inconvenience to passengers as many trains are cancelled, and services disrupted. It also leads to crowding at stations," a commuter from Kanjurmarg, Rishikesh Datar said.

Central Railway chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said, "To give safe, punctual and hassle-free services to the commuters of Mumbai division, CR introduced the concept of mega block on mainline in 1997 and on harbour line in 2000. Maintenance works of signalling, tele, track, overhead wire, etc., are being carried out in a mega block. While availing mega blocks on Sunday, it is ensured that the commuters get access to maximum stations and trains through various non-blocked corridors."