930 suburban trains to be cancelled from May 31 to June 2 for platform works at Thane and CSMT

The 36-hour CSMT block will start at 12.30 am on June 1 and continue until 12.30 pm on June 2.

The 63-hour block at Thane will be in effect from 12.30 am on May 31 will 3.30pm on June 2. (Express photo by Deepak Joshi/File)

Written by: Sweety Adimulam

3 min readMumbaiMay 29, 2024 10:55 PM IST First published on: May 29, 2024 at 10:55 PM IST

As many as 930 suburban train services will be cancelled between Friday and June 2 when the Mumbai division of the Central Railway will conduct a 63-hour block for the widening of Platform 5/6 at Thane and a 36-hour special block for non-interlocking (NI) works related to the extension of Platform 10/11 to accommodate 24-coach trains at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

The 63-hour block at Thane will be in effect from 12.30 am on May 31 will 3.30pm on June 2. The section will include the UP Slow Line from Kalva (including CSMT end crossovers), to Thane (all crossovers), the DN Fast Line from Thane (all crossovers), to Kalva (all crossovers), and the UP Fast Line from Kalva (all crossovers), to Thane (all crossovers).

The 36-hour CSMT block will start at 12.30 am on June 1 and continue until 12.30 pm on June 2. The services between CSMT and Byculla and CSMT-Vadala Rd will be stopped, affecting UP and DOWN Harbour lines between CSMT (including) and Vadala Road (excluding); UP and DOWN slow lines between CSMT (including) and Byculla (excluding); and UP and DOWN fast lines between CSMT (including) and Byculla (excluding).

According to Central Railway Mumbai division officials, 930 suburban train services will be cancelled and 444 services will be short-terminated during the block period.

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To avoid inconvenience to commuters, CR officials have requested all establishments to allow their employees to work from home during the block period. The CR has also urged people to avoid travel on these days unless absolutely necessary, stating that these blocks are essential for infrastructure upgrades to provide long-term benefits.

For the first time, CR Mumbai division is adopting a modern technology that will complete the platform-widening work in two-and-half days, instead of the usual six months. This involves constructing a modular platform of Thane using a pre-cast block, which will be placed next to the existing platform using cranes and joined using concrete.

Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relation Officer, Mumbai Division CR, said that they have brought in special wagon trains from Pune’s Khadki for the transportation of these 750-metre long pre-cast blocks. They were fabricated at Mulund near goods’ shed.

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The CSMT Platform extension work Phase 1 includes extension of platform number 10/11 (island platform) for which the 36-hour block has been called for non-interlocking work, which involves disconnection of points, signals, track circuits and other signaling gadgets.

The objective of CSMT platform extension is to facilitate long-distance trains of 24 coaches, benefitting intercity travellers from Mumbai to Pune and Nashik.