Maharashtra: Container train derails near Panvel, one trolley off track at Kalamboli

Since Panvel is a critical crossover connecting north and south India, many national trains are likely to be affected. PIC VIA RAJENDRA B AKLEKAR

A Sanatnagar (Secunderabad)-JNPT container train derailed at 11:28 a.m. on Friday while passing Platform 5 at Panvel. One trolley went off the tracks near the Kalamboli goods siding, at the point crossover.

As per the latest update, the train got rerailed at 1.25 p.m.

No injuries were reported, and railway officials have begun restoration and assessment work. Any derailment in the Panvel-Kalamboli section is considered an operational disaster, as Panvel Junction is a crucial point for several railway lines.

Sources said the derailment at Panvel will have a major impact on a number of long-distance trains coming from Vasai and may lead to delays and detentions for trains arriving at or travelling to Konkan Railway.

Since Panvel is a critical crossover connecting north and south India, many national trains are likely to be affected.

Work on the Dedicated Freight Corridor, which is intended to segregate freight trains from passenger traffic, is partially complete up to Kharbao. The remaining 72 km stretch to JNPT is still under construction. Once finished in the next two years, the entire freight corridor will be segregated.

Previously, a major freight derailment near Panvel on 30 September 2023 caused widespread disruption after four wagons and a brake van of a Panvel-Vasai goods train derailed in the Panvel-Kalamboli section. This blocked a key corridor used by Konkan Railway long-distance trains and suburban services. On 30 September and 1 October 2023, more than 30 trains were cancelled, diverted, or short-terminated, resulting in severe delays and passenger overcrowding across the network.