Mumbai: Passenger associations, dabbawalas unhappy with night block undertaken by Central Railway

Central Railway has undertaken midnight traffic and power blocks in Lokmanya Tilak Terminus LTT yard for enhancement of coaching experience which began on the intervening night of Sunday Monday to February 18 2024 However passengers have expressed mixed feelings over the block for which a total of 48 outstation trains are either rescheduled or shortterminatedoriginated at various stationsThe passengers said that the block which coincides with the Maghi Ganesh Chaturthi is discomforting many The Mumbai Dabbawalla Association too has expressed concerns about the blockSubhash Gupta of Rail Yatri Sangha told midday ldquoWe are not against blocks or infrastructure development but railways should consider the fact that a major festival is upcoming and people might have booked tickets to travel to their native place well in advance The Central Railway does not consider the passengers concerns before announcing a major block Plus the block begins at 1030 PM hindering the night local trains which will also affect the morning trains This will also increase issues for officegoers this week The rescheduled timetable will surely cause chaos on the central line throughout the weekrdquoHe lamented ldquoIf the block had been announced in advance the passengers would have considered other modes of transport for the festival The Central Railway always disappoints us passengers by declaring such blocks at the last moment Now the travelling cost will also significantly increase as other modes of transport are cost extensiveNandkumar Deshmukh President of the Federation of Suburban Passengers Association echoing similar thoughts said Had railways taken the passengers association in confidence we would have informed the passengers to consider other modes of transport in advance Moreover Central Railway never writes to other transportation services to make arrangements for increased load during the block period resulting in the stress on those servicesrdquoHe further stated that the railway should have written to the state transportation department that the number of buses on routes facing a block should be increased to avoid overcrowdingSubhash Talekar president of the Mumbai Dabbawalla Association said ldquoThe night block will affect the morning train services This would also mean that the load on morning locals will increase Since we start our day early in the morning the load on morning trains will also affect us We need to deliver tiffin to many Mumbaikars in the morning and this block can become a hindrance in providing this service on timerdquoAn official from Central Railway said ldquoThough over 40 outstation trains will be cancelled or rescheduled we have tried to minimise the disturbances to passengers as much as possible This infrastructure development is much needed and will prove to be a boon in the long runrdquoSources from CR disclosed the repercussions and details of longdistance outstation trains which will be cancelled or rescheduled due to the block and also said that the block will commence between 1030 PM to 330 PM The details areDay 1 11th 12th FebruaryOslash Sick line placement will be affected also advanced planning for rakes on pit lines will be doneDay 2 12th 13th FebruaryOslash Lokmanya Tilak Terminus LTT to Patliputra Express scheduled to depart at 1135 PM will be rescheduled to depart at 430 AMOslash LTT to Gorakhpur Kushinagar Express scheduled to depart at 1235 AM will be departing at 120 AMOslash LTT to Jaynagar Express scheduled to depart at 1130 AM will depart at 1215 PMOslash Vishakhapatnam to LTT Express will be shortterminated at Thane instead of LTTDay 3 13th 14th FebruaryOslash No delays in outstation trainsDay 4 14th 15th FebruaryOslash LTT to Secunderabad Duranto Express is scheduled to depart at 1105 PM and will depart at 1130 PMOslash LTT to Patliputra Express scheduled to depart at 1135 PM will be rescheduled to depart at 1150 PMOslash Ballila to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 1245 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Darbhanga to LTT express will be regulated and arriving at 100 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Gorakhpur to LTT Kushinagar Express will regulated and arrive at 120 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Ayodhya Cantt to LTT express will be regulated and arriving at 445 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Shalimar to LTT express will be regulated and arriving at 500 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Vishakhapatnam to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 515 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Gorakhpur LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 525 AM instead of its regular arrival timeDay 5 15th 16th FebruaryOslash LTT to Gorakhpur Kushinagar Express scheduled to depart at 1235 AM will be departing at 120 AMOslash Ballila to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 1245 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Kochuveli to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 410 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Shalimar to LTT Jananeshwari Express will be regulated and will arrive at 420 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Shalimar to LTT express will be regulated and arriving at 430 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Vishakhapatnam to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 445 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Gorakhpur to LTT express will be regulated and arriving at 500 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Karmali to LTT AC Express will be shortterminated at Thane instead of LTTDay 6 16th 17th FebruaryOslash LTT to Madgaon Express scheduled to depart at 1245 AM will be departing at 120 AMOslash Madgaon to LTT express will be regulated and will arrive at 1230 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Gorakhpur to LTT Kushinagar Express will regulated and arrive at 1240 AM instead of its designated arrival timeOslash Darbhanga to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 1255 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Shalimar to LTT Jananeshwari Express will be regulated and will arrive at 405 AM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash Shalimar to LTT express will be regulated and arriving at 435 AM instead of the designated arrival timeDay 7 18th February block will be between 815 AM and 215 PMOslash LTT to Chapra Godan Express scheduled to depart at 1055 AM will be departing at 320 PMOslash LTT to Jaynagar Express scheduled to depart at 1130 PM will depart at 330 PMOslash LTT to Ballia Kamayani Express scheduled to depart at 150 PM will depart at 350 PMOslash LTT to Patna Express scheduled to depart at 245 PM will depart at 520 PMOslash LTT to Saltanpur Express scheduled to depart at 345 PM will depart at 410 PMOslash LTT to Kakinada Express scheduled to depart at 120 PM will depart at 715 PMOslash Coimbatore to LTT express will be regulated and arrive at 230 PM instead of the designated arrival timeOslash The following trains will be regulated and will reach 45 to 60 minutes late Prayagraj to LTT Duronto Express Gorakhpur to LTT Express Chhapra to LTT Express and Agra Cantt to LTT ExpressOslash Thiruvananthapuram to LTT Netravathi Express will be shortterminated at Panvel instead of LTTOslash Mangaluru to LTT Matsyagandha Express will be shortterminated at PanvelOslash Kakinda to LTT Express will be shortterminated at ThaneOslash Patna to LTT express will be shortterminated at ThaneOslash Banaras to LTT Express will be shortterminated at ThaneOslash Patliputra to LTT Express will be shortterminated at ThaneOslash Hatia to LTT express will be shortterminated at ThaneOslash LTT to Thiruvananthapuram Netravati express will be short originated from Panvel instead of LTT at 140 PMOslash LTT to Mangaluru Matsyagandha express will be short originated from Panvel instead of LTT at 510 PM