Mumbai local alert! Central Railways to operate 63-hour mega block starting today - May 31; 930 trains cancelled

The Central Railway has announced a 63-hour mega block that will commence at midnight on May 30, which will cancel 930 local trains. This mega block will facilitate platform extension and widening projects at two important stations: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai and Thane station.

This mega block, essential for extending platforms at CSMT and widening platforms at Thane station, is scheduled to conclude at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.

The Central Railway, which typically operates over 1,800 local train services daily across its four corridors (Main, Harbour, Trans-Harbour, and Uran), will experience disruptions during this period. These services cater to the commuting needs of over 30 lakh individuals.

Also Read: Monsoon 2024 Update: Maharashtra's monsoon onset in 8-10 days, Mumbai to experience relief soon, says IMD

Addressing a press conference, Rajneesh Goyal, divisional railway manager of Central Railway's Mumbai division said, “A 63-hour mega block for the widening of platforms 5 and 6 (in Thane) will start from Thursday midnight while a 36-hour block for the works related to the extension of platforms 10 and 11 (at CSMT) will kick in from Friday midnight.”

Platforms 5 and 6 in Thane, which currently face overcrowding issues due to their narrow width and handling of both mail/express and local trains, will be widened by 2-3 meters.

Also Read: Mumbai Coastal Road Phase 2 to start: Maharashtra CM Eknath Shinde declares date amid leakage reports in Phase 1

The Central Railway will cancel 930 local train services of which 161 will be cancelled on Friday, 534 on Saturday, and 235 on Sunday, PTI reported. Moreover, the Railways will short-terminate 444 suburban services, including seven on Friday, 306 on Saturday and 131 on Sunday. A total of 446 local train services, including 307 on Saturday and 139 on Sunday, will originate from various stations.

Apart from the local train services, long-distance trains are also expected to be affected during the block period. The railways have appealed to commuters to avoid travelling by local trains, unless necessary.

Sharing more updates on train cancellations, Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of Central Railways said that 72 mail-express trains and 956 suburban trains on the main and Harbour corridors will remain cancelled from Friday to Sunday. 

According to the PTI report, several mail-express and suburban trains will also be short-terminated and short-originated from Wadala, Dadar, Thane, Pune, Panvel, and Nashik stations.

Also Read: From driving license to LPG cylinder prices: Here's what will change from June 1

Nila further added, “There will be unavoidable cancellation of suburban trains. Hence, we request all the establishments to allow your staff to work from home or any other means possible to reduce the number of passengers on these days”

With a large number of train cancellations, Nila said the Railways has also requested the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to operate extra buses for passenger's convenience.

Also Read: When will Monsoon 2024 hit Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru? All details here

"These blocks are essential for infrastructure upgradation and long-term benefits. Passengers are requested to bear with the Railway Administration for the inconvenience caused," Central Railway said.