Maharashtra landslide and floods halt major train services

A massive landslide in the Lonavala‑Karjat ghat section of Maharashtra’s Central Railway forced the cancellation, rescheduling and short‑termination of numerous long‑distance trains on July 9‑10. Over 1,100 workers were deployed to clear a 6‑km affected stretch; the middle line was declared safe on July 7, while restoration of the remaining two lines continued. Services such as the Deccan Queen, Deccan Express, Intercity Express and Sainagar Shirdi‑Dadar Express were cancelled, and the CSMT‑Bengaluru Express was short‑originated from Pune.

Heavy rains that followed kept the region water‑logged, causing ballast washouts between Neral and Shelu, overflow of Tulsi and Vihar lakes, and further disruptions on both Central and Western Railway networks. Suburban services suffered delays of 25‑30 minutes, with dozens of trains cancelled, short‑terminated or rescheduled. Flooded tracks near Vasai‑Virar and in the Surat area added to commuter inconvenience across Mumbai and surrounding districts.