Signal glitch near Mumbai hits Central Railway's local services: Official

Local train services on the Central Railway's main line were disrupted on Tuesday morning due to a technical snag in the signalling system near Mumbai, officials said.

Suburban trains, considered as the lifeline of Mumbai, were running late by at least 15-20 minutes due to the problem that occurred on the south-bound slow track between Diva and Mumbra railway stations in neighbouring Thane district at 4.55 am, they said.

Central Railway's (CR) Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila said the signal was set right at around 6 am, more than one hour after the snag developed.

Owing to the disruption, crowds swelled on the CR's suburban trains and stations on the main line.

As a result, passengers faced hardships, a commuter activist said.

The main line of the CR stretches from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai to Kasara in Thane, and to Khopoli and Karjat in Raigad district.

The Central Railway daily operates nearly 1,800 local services on its suburban railway network.

More than 35 lakh commuters travel on the local trains daily on its main, harbour, trans-harbour and Belapur-Uran suburban corridors.