Pune: The surest and most time-bound way to get to Mumbai from Pune is by train. But that certainty was lost after rail operations between Pune and Mumbai were disrupted by a massive landslide early on Monday and the tracks have not been cleared of debris even on the second day.Thousands of passengers travelling between the two cities or from the southern parts of the country to Mumbai are anxious. Many complained about inadequate communication from the railway authorities about when rail operations will resume.Railway officials said 14 trains, including intercity services, were cancelled on Tuesday, while 13 were diverted until 3.15pm. The number of diversions and short terminations was expected to rise depending on the progress of work on restoration.Central Railway staff have been working round-the-clock braving heavy rain to restore the landslide-hit stretch between Thakurwadi Cabin and Monkey Hill on the Karjat-Lonavla section.The landslide, triggered by heavy rain around 3am on Monday, brought rail traffic between Mumbai and Pune to a standstill. More than 20 trains, including all Pune-Mumbai intercity services, were cancelled on Monday, while several others were diverted, short-terminated or short-originated. Disruptions continued on Tuesday.Adhersh Nair, an IT professional, said his elderly parents, travelling from Kozhikode to Pune on the Ernakulam-Pune Superfast Express, were stranded. They boarded the train at 5.30am on Tuesday and are due to reach Pune early on Wednesday. But with trains being cancelled, diverted and short-terminated, Nair said he had no idea whether their train would reach Pune or stop at Panvel or another station.“Both are senior citizens and one has mobility issues. If the train is terminated before Pune, I’ll have to rush there to receive them. Without timely updates from the Railways, it is impossible to plan. Families, especially those travelling with elderly passengers, deserve clear information well in advance,” he said.Wakad resident Alok Mishra, who was scheduled to travel to Indore on Tuesday, was on tenterhooks too. “My friend and I still don’t know whether our train will operate. Yesterday, the same train was diverted from Daund to Ranjangaon without entering Pune. If officials already know about disruptions, they should communicate them early so passengers can make alternate arrangements. I have an important business meeting tomorrow, and I don’t even know if I’ll reach,” he said.Many were hoping that one of the two lines between Pune and Lonavla will be restored by late Tuesday. Hemant Kumar Behera, divisional commercial manager and PRO, Pune railway division, said, “If that happens, train services can resume partially. However, continuous rain is making restoration difficult and we cannot commit to a timeline at the moment. No information until now has been received on restoration.”Another railway official said passengers were being updated through Central Railway’s social media platforms and station announcements. “We understand the anger. The situation is changing rapidly as more trains are being diverted and restoration work continues,” the official added.Swapnil Nila, Central Railway’s chief public relations officer, said the landslide had affected nine locations on the ghat section. “Four sites have been cleared, while restoration is underway at the remaining five. We hope to restore two of the three railway lines by Tuesday. Around 400 workers, assisted by heavy machinery, are working on a war footing,” he said.For daily commuters, the disruption has translated into mounting travel costs. Agarkarnagar resident Devanand Rane, who commutes to Mumbai every day by Deccan Queen, said he was forced to take a shared cab. “My office is near CSMT and I rely on the Deccan Queen every day. I couldn’t travel on Monday and had to spend heavily on road transport today. If train services aren’t restored soon, commuting will become extremely expensive,” he said.
