HARBOUR LINE SERVICES DISRUPTED DUE TO AGITATION
The local train services on the central railway line came to a halt on Tuesday for over five hours. This was due to the violent protests erupted in several parts of Mumbai with people damaging a BEST bus, blocking roads and holding a rail roko on Tuesday.
The protesters stopped local train services at the Govandi and Chembur railway stations of the Harbour Line. A result, Harbour line services were delayed by around 15 minutes.
“Some RPI workers refused to move off the tracks. Services resumed only after they left,” said a senior official.
Several lakhs of commuters were stranded on stations or in stationary trains and many preferred to walk on the railway tracks to their destinations. Similarly, hundreds of youths swooped onto the roads in eastern suburbs asking shops, restaurants and commercial establishments to down shutters and staged roadblocks.
On Tuesday, 84 suburban services were been cancelled and 52 special trains were running between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminals (CSMT)-Kurla and VashiPanvel section.
Central Railway's Chief PRO Sunil Udasi said the agitators came out on tracks and stopped the suburban services, though the railways have nothing to do with the incident. “Suburban services were suspended between Kurla and Vashi on its harbour corridor and were running special services between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminals (CSMT)Kurla and Vashi-Panvel section,” added Udasi.
He added an announcement regarding the same was being made at all stations of the central railway so that commuters should be aware about the trains which are been running.
One of the eyewitnesses said some of the protesters were throwing a stone on the trains which were made a halt at Mankhurd station. “The passengers inside the trains had shut down the window in fear as protesters were throwing the stone,” said passengers.
Angry protesters damaged a bus near Chembur golf course, blocked roads at PL Lokhande Marg and Amar Mahal junction in Chembur and in Adarsh Nagar at Govandi.