15 July,2026 07:48 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Karjat-Lonavala Down line restored (File pic)
Days after heavy rain disrupted the rail services on the Mumbai-Pune rail route, Central Railway on Wednesday said that they have restored the second railway line on the South East Ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala.
Officials from Central Railway further announced that the iconic Deccan Queen and Intercity Express services will resume operations from July 16, 2026.
According to Central Railway, the South East Down line between Karjat and Lonavala was successfully restored on July 14 after the repair work was completed. Following trial operations involving three goods trains, Train No. 22107 CSMT-Latur Express became the first passenger train to traverse the restored Down line.
The train departed Karjat at 11:18 pm on Tuesday, July 14, crossed the affected section at a restricted speed of 20 kmph, and reached Lonavala at 12:27 am on July 15, confirming the line's operational readiness.
With the restoration of the Down line, Central Railway has announced the resumption of two of its key Mumbai-Pune services from July 16:
The railway administration said restoration efforts have been underway continuously for the past 10 days after landslides struck the Lonavala-Karjat section on July 6, severely disrupting rail traffic.
The Mid line was restored on July 7, while the Down line became operational on July 14. Work is currently in progress to restore the remaining Up line, after which normal train operations are expected to resume.
To speed up the restoration, Central Railway has deployed heavy machinery, including a boulder special train, unimat machine, duomatic machine, poclain excavators, and JCBs. Labour special trains are also being operated to transport workers to the restoration site wherever feasible.
Central Railway has further advised passengers to check train running status through the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) app or the railway helpline. Regular updates are also being shared through the railway's official social media platforms.
The railway administration thanked passengers for their patience and cooperation during the restoration work and said every effort is being made to restore the remaining line and normalise train services at the earliest.
