According to officials, the Churchgate-bound train from Virar on the Western Railway (WR) derailed around <g data-gr-id="32">11am</g> blocking the two (in Up and Down directions) fast tracks and disrupting the morning peak-hour office-bound rush. Commuters stuck in the trains had to walk through the tracks to reach the nearest station.
The train left Virar around 9.56am and was jam-packed by the time it reached Andheri when the derailment occurred.
An official of the Western Railway said a team of officials and engineers immediately rushed to the site to restore train services.
The derailment hit not only suburban train schedules but also long-distance trains from Mumbai going towards Gujarat, New Delhi and J&K. Officials said several long-distance trains scheduled to depart from Bandra, Dadar and Mumbai Central railway stations were being rescheduled. Similarly, several inbound trains from destinations across the country were being terminated at <g data-gr-id="24">Borivli</g>, Vasai or Virar stations.
The Western Railway suburban section suffered cancellation of a number of local train services, resulting in massive crowds of commuters at all stations between Virar and Churchgate.
The effects of the derailment spilled over to the Central Railway, Harbour Line and the two highways criss-crossing the city and other roads as people made a beeline for alternate modes of transport to reach their destinations. This is the second derailment on the suburban sector in barely 18 hours.
On Monday evening, three coaches of a train from Bandra derailed while entering the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, badly hitting home-bound peak-hour commuters on the Central Railway.
Commuters have demanded the resignation of Western Railway general manager and other officials for regular incidents of <g data-gr-id="29">derailment</g> and failing to ensure commuters’ safety.
The derailment which happened between Vile Parle and Andheri – one of the busiest stations in Mumbai – hit all four local train lines. “Due to <g data-gr-id="27">derailment</g>, fast trains between <g data-gr-id="35">Virar Churchgate</g> terminated at Andheri. Commuters need to change to slow trains for onward journey,” a Western Railway official said.