Mumbai Local Train Update: Train Services Between Vashi And Panvel Restored After Over 13-Hour Disruption

Local train services between Vashi and Panvel were restored early Monday morning after a major disruption lasting more than 13 hours due to what Central Railway described as a “technical glitch.” The services had come to a complete halt on Sunday at 4:30 pm, stranding thousands of commuters and putting heavy pressure on alternate transport modes.

According to the Divisional Railway Manager of Central Railway’s Mumbai division, restoration work was completed on Monday. “The first local from Panvel (PL-11) towards CSMT, Ex Panvel, departed at 06:02 am, and the first local towards Panvel from CSMT departed at 05:06 am. Harbour Line services are now fully restored,” the DRM posted on social media platform X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning.

Train tracking app M-indicator showed Harbour Line services running 15 to 25 minutes behind schedule during the Monday morning rush hour, as operations gradually normalized.

The disruption stemmed from a technical issue between Seawoods Darave and Nerul stations, which brought all train movement on both Up and Down lines to a standstill between Vashi and Panvel. Though railway officials did not confirm specific details, sources suggested a possible derailment of a maintenance train could have triggered the problem.

Also Check:

While trains were halted along the affected stretch, partial services continued on unaffected routes such as CSMT–Vashi–CSMT, Belapur–Panvel–Belapur, and Thane–Nerul–Thane.

Commuters, many of whom were caught unaware, criticized the lack of timely updates. “There was an announcement about a technical glitch, but it just kept repeating for hours,” said Bhumika Singh, who was stranded at Panvel station on Sunday evening.

Another commuter, Shweta Chavan, echoed the frustration. “Had we known the extent of the issue, we could have made alternate arrangements. Communication was extremely poor,” she said.

Critics also pointed out the unfortunate timing of the disruption, which followed a scheduled maintenance block on the same stretch from 10:05 am to 4:05 pm on Sunday. Many commuters questioned why the issue couldn’t have been resolved during that window, suggesting a lack of coordination and preparedness on the part of railway authorities.

With trains suspended, road transport bore the brunt of commuter traffic, resulting in overcrowded buses, long queues at taxi stands, and extended delays across Navi Mumbai and adjoining areas.

"Though full services are now back on track, the incident has once again highlighted the need for robust contingency planning, transparent communication, and better coordination between maintenance and operations to avoid future disruptions on this critical suburban route" said a passenger activist.