Mumbai Local Train Derails at Kalyan Station, Disrupts Central Line Services: No Injuries Reported

A particularly disturbing episode unfolded on Mumbai’s Central Railway line on the night of October 18, 2024, as a local train went off the rail at Kalyan station. This occurred when the rear wagon of a Titwala-CSMT suburban train was nearing station’s platform 2. The incident of derailment resulted in the suspension of local and long-distance train operations, however, there was no loss of lives or injuries. This drier storm occurred at about 9:00 pm and was specifically focused to cause a disturbance towards the Central Railways ‘backbone’ line.

What Happened?

While approaching Kalyan station, the train which was on the outskirts of khadakwasla, had come closer towards the Kalyan station which has seen a great deal of technical turmoil, while coming in and towards service of the station. There was no end to reconnecting with these commuters and services were affected for quite a number of hours rendering it difficult for many daily users who rely on Kalyan services. Kalyan station ranks to be the busiest of all junctions within Mumbai, including in these areas, adding to the nuisance.

Even though no injuries took place, it was frustrating for all the passengers who used the Central Line since many of them were stuck in a long hold of services. The incident was certainly not an isolated case as the train with its afflicted arm connected Kalyan with rest parts of Mumbai and other accessed intermediate points, left the daily travelling commutation for employees plus many other local transport users in utter mayhem.

Immediate Actions Taken

As per the authorities, the mishap occurred when the train was coming at a slow sprint towards the platform. It was reported that the coach got derailed because of a minor technical snag but prompt action was taken by the agencies. After the timely arrival of Central Railway’s Disaster Management team at the site, normal service was resumed by 12:40 am. The last coach of the train was towed back onto its tracks and, although gradual progress was made on other services, some waited hours for resolution of any further abnormalities.

As the CPRO of Central railway Swapnil Nila put it in a statement, “No one has any reports about injuries. The rear end ticket collector is reported to have come off the tracks earlier than usual in order to stop at Platform 2. We have trouble making sure that everything is in place, and normality is recovered as permanently as possible.”

Effect on the Travelling Public

In cities like Mumbai that rely heavily on local trains for the daily movement of the populace, even a small disruption can lead to severe consequences. The Kalyan incident resulted in suspension and elongation of numerous services along the central line, stranding thousands of passengers. A number had to endure hours of sitting around at the station and some went to search for other ways to travel. Frustrated passengers said this was not an ideal situation, the very situation where train delays are common and passengers find themselves in an over-crowded platform.

The derailment took place during the evening rush hour which is the time when most office-goers and students commute via local trains. Long-distance passengers suffered more losses because a number of trains linking Mumbai with the rest of India were held up because the lines were blocked. 

Social Media Reaction

The active Mumbai social media population quickly indicated the concern with many commuters taking to social media to vent their frustrations. There were quite a lot of posts regarding several delays across the site. In particular, the KalyanTrainDerailment hashtag trended for some time. After the event, some passengers were fortunate that loss was avoided, even though they urged the need for more secure structures and regular upkeep of the railroad networks so that such circumstances do not recur.

The official Twitter Handle of the Central Railway Mumbai Division throughout the night gave due attention to the commuters. Later, ‘owing to technical problems, the mainline services are running behind time. Apologies for the inconvenience. Services will be reinstated in no time,’ they said in their tweet.

Central Railway Response

The Central Railway authorities were able to move the derailed coach back on its tracks, and by midnight, the train operations were slowly returning to normal. RPF and disaster management units were commended for their fast actions which made it possible to resume all services without delay.

The authorities are presently looking into what exactly brought about this derailment. It is anticipated that there could have been a technical glitch which might be the reason for the derailment, however, further details will be available when the investigation is finalized. This case brings forth the need for periodic inspection and maintenance, more so in a case where there are millions who daily use the train network within the city.

Conclusion

None was hurt in the Kalyan local train but the case here indicates how the railway safety and infrastructure need to be taken care of. It disrupted operations on the Central Railway line for rather long hours and the commuters had to face hours of delays and cancellations of services. The disruption was however managed rapidly and investigations are also underway to identify the reasons behind the derailment. In the meantime, commuters wish for the return of an invasive and much more secure journey around the metropolitan rail network of Mumbai.

For updates on train services and other railway news, check Central Railway’s official Twitter page.