The Central Railway has announced a significant 63-hour mega block starting at midnight on May 30, resulting in the cancellation of 930 local trains. This extensive block is necessary for platform extension and widening projects at two key stations: Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai and Thane station.
Megablock Overview
Scheduled to end at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, the mega block will facilitate the extension of platforms at CSMT and the widening of platforms at Thane station. Central Railway, which operates over 1,800 local train services daily across its four corridors (Main, Harbour, Trans-Harbour, and Uran), will see significant disruptions affecting the daily commute of over 30 lakh people.
Platform Extension and Widening
At a press conference, Rajneesh Goyal, Divisional Railway Manager of Central Railway’s Mumbai division, stated, “A 63-hour mega block for the widening of platforms 5 and 6 at Thane will start from Thursday midnight, while a 36-hour block for the extension of platforms 10 and 11 at CSMT will begin from Friday midnight.”
The authorities will widen Platforms 5 and 6 at Thane by 2-3 meters to address overcrowding issues caused by their narrow width and handling of both mail/express and local trains.
Train Service Disruptions
Substantial train service cancellations include 161 local trains on Friday, 534 on Saturday, and 235 on Sunday. Furthermore, 444 suburban services will undergo short-termination, including seven on Friday, 306 on Saturday, and 131 on Sunday. In total, 446 local train services will originate from various stations during this period.
Long-distance trains will also be affected. The Central Railway has urged commuters to avoid traveling by local trains unless necessary. Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, Swapnil Nila, announced the cancellation of 72 mail-express trains and 956 suburban trains on the Main and Harbour corridors from Friday to Sunday. Central Railway will short-terminate and short-originated several mail-express and suburban trains from Wadala, Dadar, Thane, Pune, Panvel, and Nashik stations.
Commuter Advisory
Nila added, “There will be unavoidable cancellations of suburban trains. We request all establishments to allow their staff to work from home or find alternative means to reduce passenger numbers during these days.”
In light of the extensive cancellations, Central Railway has requested the Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) and Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to operate extra buses for passenger convenience.
“These blocks are essential for infrastructure upgrades and long-term benefits. Passengers are requested to bear with the Railway Administration for any inconvenience caused,” Central Railway stated.
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