3 min readVadodaraUpdated: Jul 24, 2026 05:37 PM IST
Several NGOs, religious and community groups, industrial units volunteered to distribute refreshments among stranded passengers. (Photo by special arrangement)
Heavy rain in south Gujarat continued to cripple rail traffic between Mumbai and Surat for the second day in a row, as Western Railway on Friday cancelled 61 trains, including the premium Vande Bharat Express, Karnavati Express, Double Decker, Shatabdi and Rajdhani services.
However, railway officials said that one side of the rail track from Ahmedabad to Mumbai had been cleared and services would be resumed with restricted speed later in the day. The other side from Mumbai to Ahmedabad remains impacted, they added.
As of 8 am, Western Railway cancelled several major long-distance trains passing through Gujarat, including the Hapa-Mumbai Central Duronto Express (12268), Indore-Mumbai Central Duronto (12228), Hazrat Nizamuddin-Bandra Terminus Garib Rath Express (12910), Hazrat Nizamuddin-Mumbai Central August Kranti Rajdhani Express (12954), Haridwar-Bandra Terminus Express (19019) and Bandra Terminus-Jodhpur Superfast Express (12480).
Several suburban and passenger services were also cancelled, including Anand-Vadodara MEMU (69104), Vadodara-Surat MEMU (69112), Bharuch-Surat MEMU (69172), Vadodara-Dahanu Road (22929/22930), Virar-Bharuch (19101) and Bandra Terminus-Udhna Special (09035).
Cancellations for tomorrow
Western Railway also announced advance cancellations for several services scheduled on Saturday and Sunday, including the Golden Temple Express, Jamnagar-Vadodara Intercity, Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Katra-Jamnagar Superfast, Dadar-Porbandar Express and Virangana Lakshmibai Jhansi Special, indicating that disruptions are likely to continue in the flood-affected sections.
“The movement on the up track (Surat to Mumbai) has been resumed with restricted speed late morning on Friday, but the down track (Mumbai to Surat) is yet to be restored. We are hoping that the situation will ease out and allow us to resume services soon,” Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, told The Indian Express.
The Mumbai-Gujarat rail corridor is among the country’s busiest passenger routes, serving not only as the principal rail link between the two regions but also carrying long-distance traffic connecting northern, western and southern India. The disruption has affected thousands of passengers, including daily business travellers and long-distance passengers.
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The Railways said that their engineering teams were working to restore traffic at three locations where train movement had been suspended following Thursday’s torrential rainfall, including the flood-hit Bilimora section. They said services are expected to gradually resume later on Friday, subject to improvement in weather conditions and track safety.
Rail traffic was affected after floodwaters reached the danger level at a bridge between Gholvad and Umbergaon Road on Thursday, triggering widespread cancellations, diversions and delays across the Western Railway network.
On Thursday, there were train cancellations after floodwaters submerged critical sections of track. Long-distance trains already en route to Mumbai were held at stations between Surat and Mumbai, with delays stretching to nearly six hours.
Railway officials have advised passengers to check the latest train status before commencing their journey, saying services will be restored only after all affected sections are certified safe for operations.
Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues.
Expertise:
Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including:
Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground.
Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure.
Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case).
Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions.
Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... Read More
