3 min readVadodaraUpdated: Jul 23, 2026 08:19 PM IST
Several NGOs, religious and community groups, industrial units volunteered to distribute refreshments among stranded passengers. (Photo by special arrangement)
Heavy monsoon rain snapped a crucial rail link between Gujarat and Mumbai on Thursday, paralysing train operations after floodwaters reached the danger mark on a bridge, prompting the Western Railway to suspend trains including the Vande Bharat, Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani, and double-decker trains, while short-terminating, diverting, or rescheduling others as authorities struggled to restore normal operations.
Train movement was first affected due to water accumulation in the Umroli-Gholvad section before worsening conditions forced a suspension after water levels rose to the danger mark at Bridge No. 284 between Gholvad and Umbergaon Road.
Western Railways Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhishek told The Indian Express that several long-distance trains heading towards Mumbai were currently stranded between Surat and Valsad. This includes the New Delhi-Mumbai Rajdhani Express and the Chandigarh-Bandra Terminus Express, both running almost six hours late.
One track towards Mumbai functional
Abhishek said, “The problem is that the water level on the track needs to come down. We have already cancelled trains that are yet to depart from Mumbai, but for trains coming towards Mumbai from longer distances, we are waiting and watching… Although one track towards Mumbai is functional, there is caution.”
Abhishek said the railway would assess the situation and reach out to the passengers on the stranded trains. “We are ensuring as far as possible that the trains are held up only at railway platforms and not on the tracks. This will allow passengers access to food stalls and other platform amenities…” he added.
Abhishek said helpdesks have been set up in Ahmedabad and Vadodara.
Apart from cancelling Vadodara-Bharuch and Bharuch-Surat MEMU services, the railway also curtailed the 12972 Bhavnagar Terminus-Bandra Terminus Superfast at Surat and cancelled its onward journey to Bandra Terminus. The 19217 Bandra Terminus-Veraval Mail Express started from Bharuch, with the Bandra Terminus-Bharuch portion cancelled.
Earlier in the day, several suburban and long-distance services were also cancelled or partially cancelled. The Jaipur-Bandra Terminus Special and Bhusaval-Dadar Express were terminated at Vapi and Bhilad respectively, while corresponding return services originated from those stations. Multiple Mumbai-bound local services between Virar and Dahanu Road were also curtailed.
The Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Tejas Express (22953), Gandhinagar Capital Express (20901), Bandra Terminus-Ramnagar Express (22975) and Mumbai Central-Ahmedabad Shatabdi Express (12009) were rescheduled. The Chandigarh-Thiruvananthapuram Express (12218), Hapa-Madgaon Express (22908) and Ajmer-Surat Express (09627) were diverted via the Surat-Palghar-Jalgaon route.
The railway has urged passengers to check the latest running status of their trains before starting their journey due to rapidly changing operating conditions.
After the railway reached out to companies in Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC) areas around Vadodara, several NGOs, religious and community groups, and industrial units volunteered to distribute refreshments among stranded passengers.
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
