Mumbai-Surat section train derailment: WR restores services 24 hours after incident at Palghar

Some wagons from a goods train derailed at Palghar Yard on Tuesday/Anand Patil

The Western Railway restored train service near Palghar in the Mumbai-Surat section on Wednesday evening, just 24 hours after a freight train derailed. On Tuesday at 5.08 pm, seven waggons of a cargo train carrying iron coils derailed near Palghar, roughly 100 kilometres from Mumbai, impeding traffic for trains going for Mumbai from Gujarat. Fortunately, there were no casualties recorded. When the wagons and coils derailed on their way from Visakhapatnam to Karambeli, Gujarat, the train caused significant damage to the tracks and overhead equipment.

The railway track damaged because of the Mumbai-Surat section train derailment was confirmed ready for operations with a speed restriction by 5.30 pm on Wednesday, according to Western Railway. WR further stated that a junior administration grade inquiry with a five-member panel has been ordered to probe the derailment.

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"The track which was affected earlier due to the derailment of the goods train at Palghar over the Mumbai-Surat section, has been certified fit at 17.30 hrs with speed restriction. Local services over the Virar-Dahanu Section of Mumbai Suburban have resumed. Due to the derailment, some trains were affected along this route. 53 trains have been cancelled while 28 trains were partially cancelled, 12 trains diverted and 40 trains rescheduled," said the latest update issued by Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway.

According to a PTI report, passengers experienced significant inconvenience, with many reporting a lack of food and water onboard stranded trains. "Train no 12268 at Dungri station, people standing outside without food and water. Didn't stop at Surat but stopped outside always," one passenger, Lubhit Singhvi, complained on social media.

Western Railway, on the other hand, claimed that food and water were provided to passengers on the stranded trains. "Food and water arrangements have been made for the passengers of the Mumbai bound trains that were short terminated at various stations due to derailment of a goods train at Palghar yard on 28/05," WR tweeted.

Beginning Tuesday night, several trains ran on the down line between Boisar-Palghar-Kelve Road stations as part of the restoration activities. Approximately 250 workers, two hydra cranes, two to three earth-digging machines, a 300-ton crane, and other machinery were used for the repair operation.

With PTI inputs