Local train services, BEST buses hit hard as heavy rain lashes Mumbai, Thane – Hindustan Times

Incessant heavy rain lashed parts of financial capital Mumbai and Maharashtra’s Thane and Palghar districts from Tuesday night, throwing local train and bus services out of gear due to water-logging on railway tracks and arterial roads, officials said on Wednesday.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already put the city and its suburbs on red alert and issued a warning to people to stay indoors amid forecasts of high tide. Normal life was disrupted across Mumbai and a few districts as heavy continued to batter the city.

“Intense rain is likely in Mumbai today. The city received heavy rainfall at isolated places in the last 12 hours. More impact was on western suburbs with rainfall of more than 150 mm,” the IMD said on Wednesday.

The red alert was issued for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik districts of Maharashtra. The weather agency’s warning for Mumbai is just for Wednesday but that for Thane, Palghar and Nashik is for both Wednesday and Thursday.

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The Central Railway suspended local train services on the Harbour railway line between the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Wadala railway stations. Train services were suspended due to water-logging between Masjid Bunder and Sandhurst Road railway station. Mainline train services, however, are currently operational.

Local train services have also been suspended on the Harbour railway line between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Vashi railway stations and on the Central railway mainline between CSMT and Kurla railway stations.

Water-logging was reported from low lying areas of Chembur, Parel, Hindmata, Wadala and other areas of Mumbai city. In Palghar district, Dahanu logged over 350 mm rainfall in the 12-hour period ending at 5.30 am on Wednesday while some areas in Thane received over 150 mm during the period, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The weather agency predicted more intense showers during the rest of the day on Wednesday.

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According to the IMD, Thane city, Dombivli and Kalyan areas, which are part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), received more than 120 mm rainfall during the same period.

According to railway sources, suburban services were stopped due to water-logging on tracks at Palghar station. There was minor disruption at Palghar from 5.40 am to 7.10 am due to 266 mm rain in two hours and hence, a few trains were regulated enroute, Western Railway’s chief spokesperson Sumit Thakur said. He said the Western Railways suburban services were currently functioning normally between Churchgate and Dahanu Road.

On the central line, there was water-logging on tracks in Sion and Kurla areas and trains were running with some delay. Both the Central Railway and Western Railway are operating nearly 350 special train services each daily for those working in essential and emergency services.

Bus services of the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), the civic body’s transport wing, were also hit due to water-logging on arterial roads. BEST services were diverted on more than 30 routes, including two locations in Thane district, till 9 am.