63-Hour Mega Block Causes Delays and Overcrowding for Central Railway Commuters in Mumbai

Mumbai: Commuters using Central Railway’s suburban services faced significant delays and overcrowding on Friday morning as a 63-hour-long block commenced to widen platforms at Thane station.

The mega block, which started at midnight on Thursday, has disrupted services on Central Railway’s main corridor, causing inconvenience to lakhs of office-goers. Commuters reported delays of up to 30 minutes, with local trains running packed and major stations experiencing severe overcrowding.

In response to the disruption, the Maharashtra government has permitted all public service vehicles in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) to operate stage carriage services during the mega block. This includes buses, taxis, and auto rickshaws, which can now ferry passengers from any point and make multiple stops as needed. The notification was issued under Section 66 of the Motor Vehicles Act 1988, more than 12 hours after the block began.

The block, scheduled to last until Sunday, is intended for the widening of platforms 5 and 6 at Thane station. As a result, at least six long-distance trains and 161 local services were cancelled on Friday. Throughout the block period, a total of 72 long-distance and 930 suburban services will be affected.

Railway authorities have urged commuters to avoid non-essential train journeys and have encouraged public and private establishments to facilitate work-from-home arrangements or provide alternative transportation for employees. State and municipal transport bodies have also been asked to run extra buses to accommodate the increased demand.

A CR spokesperson reported that some work has been completed ahead of schedule, improving the situation slightly. “The track slewing work at Thane station has been completed, and tamping and blasting of the track are currently in progress. The up slow line was declared fit at 8:04 am, ahead of its scheduled time of 12:30 pm,” he said. However, local trains were still running 15 to 20 minutes behind schedule, with expectations for improvement by 10:30 am.