Mumbai: Cavity under track affects train traffic on Central Railway route

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Movement of trains on the Central Railway's Karjat-Badlapur section in the Mumbai metropolitan region was affected on Friday morning after a cavity was noticed under a track near Bhivpuri Road railway station in Raigad district, officials told news agency PTI.

Due to the issue, the trains were diverted to an alternative route from 6.50 am to 7.30 am before the track was restored, they said.

Central Railway's chief public relations officer Dr Shivraj Manaspure told PTI that the small cave-in occurred due to "ballast deficiency" found on the Up (Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus-bound) track.

"Trains were diverted via Bhivpuri Up loopline due to the issue," he said.

"The problem was sorted out and the track was restored for train operations that resumed at 7.30 am," he added.

Commuters said the railway timetable in the suburban network was affected due to the issue and the trains were running 10 to 15 minutes late, reported PTI.

Meanwhile, commuters who use the bus services of Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) faced a hard time on Friday after workers of a wet lease contractor continued their strike for the third day.

More than 60 per cent of the total 1,671 private buses of the civic transport service BEST in Mumbai did not ply on Thursday on the second day of drivers' strike for salary hike and other demands.

As many as 1,009 of the 1,671 buses hired from private operators did not leave 12 depots of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking across the city, causing immense inconvenience to commuters.

The buses leased by BEST from the private firm SMT, also known as Daga Group, were the worst affected on the second day; 473 of its 579 buses remained off the roads. In addition, 369 of 400 buses of Mateshwari, 155 of 340 buses of Tata Motors and 12 of 280 buses of Hansa stayed inside the depots.

The drivers of the buses of other private operators, namely Olectra, E-Trans and Switch Mobility, did not take part in the strike.

More than 2,000 drivers of private bus operators gathered at Azad Maidan in south Mumbai on Thursday afternoon as part of the protest.

On Wednesday, drivers of the Daga Group went on a flash strike at the Ghatkopar and Mulund depots over their demand of salary hike. The strike intensified on Thursday as drivers of Mateshwari and Tata Motors also joined in.

(With inputs from PTI)