Swift Restoration After Palghar Train Derailment

Western Railway restored train services at Palghar station, Mumbai, on Wednesday. A goods train carrying iron coils derailed, causing significant disruptions and affecting Mumbai-bound trains from Gujarat. No casualties were reported. Despite challenges, services resumed promptly, with food and water provided to stranded passengers, and extra buses operated for their convenience.

In a huge relief for passengers, the Western Railway on Wednesday evening restored train services at Palghar station near Mumbai where a goods train derailed a day before.

The local train services on the Virar and Dahanu section also resumed, officials said.

Seven wagons of the goods train carrying iron coils derailed at Palghar, located around 100 km from Mumbai, at 5.08 pm on Tuesday, affecting the traffic of Mumbai-bound trains coming from Gujarat, a railway spokesperson earlier said. No casualties were reported.

The affected train was heading to Karambeli in Gujarat from Visakhapatnam.

The tracks and overhead equipment suffered major damage due to derailment.

A spokesperson said the damaged railway track was certified fit for operations with a speed restriction at 5.30 pm on Wednesday.

''A junior administrative grade enquiry by a five-member panel has been ordered into the derailment,'' said Sumit Thakur, chief public relations officer of Western Railway.

As some trains were stranded due to derailment, passengers had a tough time claiming food and water were not available onboard trains.

''Train no 12268 at Dungri station, people standing outside without food and water. Didn't stop at Surat but stopped outside always,'' one Lubhit Singhvi wrote on X in reply to a post from Western Railway.

Western Railway, however, claimed to have distributed food and water to passengers onboard the trains stranded at various locations.

''Food and water arrangements have been made for the passengers of the Mumbai-bound trains that were short terminated at various stations due to derailment of a goods train at Palghar yard on 28/05,'' Western Railway tweeted.

Western Railway's over 125-km-long local train network is spread between Churchgate in Mumbai and Dahanu in Palghar district. Scores of passengers travel beyond Virar on local trains every day.

In view of derailment, 53 long-distance trains were cancelled, while 28 were partially cancelled. 40 trains were rescheduled and 12 diverted, an official said.

Thakur had said they started single-line operation from Tuesday night and some trains were being operated on the (down) line between Boisar-Palghar-Kelve Road stations.

About 250 labourers were working at the site. Two hydra cranes, two to three earth excavating machines, a 300-ton crane and other machinery were deployed at the site for the restoration work, the official had said.

Meanwhile, Western Railway tweeted that extra buses were also operated between Vadodara and Mumbai for the convenience of passengers.