26 August,2026 04:57 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Mumbai Railway. File Pic
Mumbai's Harbour line suburban train services were briefly disrupted on Wednesday afternoon after a bird became stuck in the pantograph of a local train at Kharghar railway station, causing the overhead equipment (OHE) to trip.
The unusual incident occurred at around 2.08 pm, when a suburban train was entering Kharghar station, according to Central Railway officials.
The OHE fault brought the train to a temporary halt and affected the movement of some other services on the Harbour line.
The incident reportedly caused a brief scare among commuters at Kharghar station after smoke was seen coming from the pantograph of the train's third unit.
Passengers at the station were startled by the sight, with the smoke raising concerns about a possible technical problem or fire.
Central Railway chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila later clarified that the disruption was caused after a bird came into contact with the train's pantograph.
Railway personnel immediately reached the spot after the OHE tripped and began carrying out the necessary checks and repairs.
The train was detained for a short period while staff attended to the problem.
According to railway officials, the repairs were completed quickly and train movement resumed at around 2.15 pm, roughly seven minutes after the incident.
However, some Harbour line services were delayed due to the temporary disruption.
The pantograph is the equipment mounted on top of an electric train that collects power from the overhead electrical system.
In this case, the bird's contact with the pantograph resulted in the OHE tripping, temporarily interrupting the power supply and forcing the train to remain stationary until the issue was resolved.
The Harbour line is one of Mumbai's key suburban rail corridors, carrying commuters between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Panvel, along with services connecting several stations across the city and Navi Mumbai.
While services were restored within minutes, the unusual disruption briefly affected commuters travelling through Kharghar during the afternoon rush.
(With inputs from PTI)
