Mumbai rains: Western line stays strong, Harbour line hit, Metro a saviour

A mix of technology and coordination kept Western Railway services afloat despite heavy waterlogging at Matunga station, where overflowing drains left no gradient for rainwater to flow out. “Matunga Road station has eight pumps — five by BMC and three by WR — but drains on Senapati Bapat Road and the Dharavi nullah were overflowing. Despite this, trains kept moving due to Digital Axle Counters (DACs), which rely on wheel sensors instead of current through rails and remain unaffected by flooding,” a WR spokesperson said.

Western Railway said that despite a red alert from August 16 to 18, persistent efforts by its staff ensured smooth services. Several stations, including Grant Road, Dadar, Vasai Road, and Virar, received over 250 mm of rainfall, while Bandra Terminus Yard, Andheri, and Borivli recorded more than 300 mm in two days. 

Over 110 dewatering pumps, 180 staff, and 70 pump operators were deployed, with constant inspections carried out. WR Divisional Manager Pankaj Singh inspected the line from Churchgate to Borivli. In contrast, Central Railway’s Harbour line between Kurla and Tilak Nagar saw waterlogging that forced points to be clamped, delaying services. “On the main line too, there was a delay,” a CR spokesperson said. 

In an evening update, a CR spokesperson said suburban services on Central Railway ran uninterrupted despite heavy rains, thanks to extensive pre-monsoon works. Local trains between CSMT and Kalyan were running smoothly, while “Track Yodhas” monitored waterlogging at critical points using a tricolour scale. The tricoloured scale is a water level indicator with green, yellow and red markings with water level at green indicating normal movement of traffic, at yellow indicating moving with caution and red indicating no movement. Pumps were operated continuously, floodgates managed, and temporary drains made where needed. Waterlogging at Mankhurd, Govandi, Kurla and Tilak Nagar caused Harbour line delays of 5–8 minutes, while Main line services were hit by 10–12 minutes due to low visibility. “All railway staff remain on alert to minimise flooding and faults, ensuring safe passenger travel,” the spokesperson said.   

Mumbai Metro

Mumbai Metro services across all three lines — Yellow Line 2A, Red Line 7, and Aqua Line 3 — remained unaffected. “Till 2 pm, ridership was 1,30,256 on the Yellow and Red Lines,” a MMMOCL official said. Metro-3 services between Aarey JVLR and Acharya Atre Chowk also ran smoothly, carrying around 70,000 passengers daily.

BEST buses
BEST services ran throughout the day but faced diversions and delays. By 3 pm, 46 bus routes had been diverted or curtailed across Mumbai due to waterlogging at 17 different spots. This number came to 30 by evening.