29 July,2026 07:33 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Railway engineers and workers battled continuous rainfall, unstable slopes and repeated landslides during the restoration work, officials said. Pic/CR
Central Railway on Wednesday said that it has restored rail connectivity between Mumbai and Pune, reopening all three railway lines in the Karjat-Lonavala ghat section after a challenging 23-day restoration operation following severe monsoon damage.
According to an official statement, the train services on the final UP line between Khandala and Monkey Hill resumed at 6.42 pm on 28 July, marking the full restoration of the important rail corridor.
The railway route suffered extensive damage after 327 mm of rainfall on July 5 followed by 600 to 670 mm of rain on 6 July, which triggered multiple landslides, boulder falls and embankment collapses across the ghat section.
The disruption affected the UP, DOWN and MID railway lines, leading to train cancellations, diversions, short terminations and rescheduling between July 6 and July 28.
Around 665 train services were affected during the disruption.
Railway engineers and workers battled continuous rainfall, unstable slopes and repeated landslides throughout the restoration work.
Fresh mudslides on July 8 added to the challenge, forcing teams to install protective tarpaulin sheets over vulnerable hill slopes to reduce further soil erosion and prevent additional damage.
The worst damage was reported between Khandala and Monkey Hill, where a 130-metre stretch of embankment sank by up to four metres, leaving the railway track unsupported.
Another major landslide between Monkey Hill and Thakurwadi caused the collapse of a retaining wall after a large boulder struck it, washing away around 50 metres of railway formation.
Flooding inside Tunnel No. 51 also washed away ballast and weakened the track structure, officials said.
Central Railway mobilised 11,745 personnel, including railway staff and contract workers, to carry out the restoration.
The team worked around the clock, completing an estimated 140,940 man-hours over the 23-day operation.
Heavy machinery deployed included 18 JCB machines, 20 Poclain excavators, including two long-boom excavators, a piling rig machine and multiple dumpers.
More than 110 railway material trains were also used to transport construction materials to locations that could not be reached by road.
While temporary restoration has been completed, Central Railway has already begun permanent strengthening work.
The long-term measures include the construction of 1,200 mm diameter bored cast-in-situ piles and reinforced concrete retaining walls at vulnerable locations to improve the resilience of the route against future monsoon damage.
Central Railway thanked its engineers, supervisors and workers for their dedication in restoring one of India's busiest rail corridors under extremely difficult conditions.
