MUMBAI: On Sunday afternoon, two coaches of an unoccupied local train derailed while entering a car shed from Mumbai Central, impacting services on the Western Railway. The incident occurred around 12.10 pm during a routine maintenance procedure when the train was being moved into the car shed. No passengers were on board, and no injuries were reported, said a railway spokesperson.
The derailment affected suburban services, particularly on the slow track towards Dadar.To alleviate the impact on commuters, Western Railway rerouted trains to the fast line between Churchgate and Mumbai Central. Railway authorities deployed their technical staff and emergency response teams to the derailment site. The process of rerailing the affected coaches and clearing the blocked track was expedited.
Following the rerailing of the coaches, a comprehensive inspection of the track and the train will be performed to identify any damage or underlying issues that may have contributed to the derailment, an official said. Necessary repairs will be carried out to ensure the safety and reliability of the infrastructure, he said.
This incident highlights the importance of regular maintenance and safety checks on on tracks near car shed. The Western Railway, in collaboration with other railway authorities, will likely conduct a thorough investigation into the cause of the derailment to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
A railway activist said: “Fortunately, no one was injured in this incident, and the railway authorities took swift action to minimise the disruption to services. However, it is also essential that lessons are learned from this incident, and that steps are taken to prevent similar occurrences in the future by prioritising regular maintenance and safety checks.”