Monsoon fury brought Mumbai-Pune connectivity to a standstill on Monday, as torrential rain triggered landslides and floods that halted train services and forced the closure of both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old highway, leaving commuters stranded and disrupting travel between the two cities.
At least 16 trains were cancelled while nine others were diverted amid heavy rain, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issuing an orange alert for Mumbai and a red alert for Pune.
At around 3.05 am, a landslide occurred near Thakurwadi in the Karjat-Lonavala Bhor Ghat section, followed by another between Khandala and Monkey Hill, according to Central Railway officials.
Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer of Central Railway, said all three railway tracks in the challenging Bhor Ghat stretch—the Up line towards Mumbai, the Down line towards Pune and the Middle line—were affected by the landslides triggered by incessant rainfall.
"Due to incessant heavy rainfall in the South East Ghat section between Karjat and Lonavala, a landslide occurred between Thakurvadi and Monkey Hill Loop Cabin on the Up Main Line of Mumbai Division," Nila said.
The disruption forced Central Railway to cancel, divert and regulate several long-distance services.
Among the cancelled trains were the CSMT-Pune Indrayani Express, Intercity Express, Deccan Express, Deccan Queen, Pragati Express and Dhule Express. Additional services, including the Pune-CSMT Sinhagad Express, were also cancelled, while several long-distance trains were short-terminated, short-originated, diverted or rescheduled.
Railway authorities said restoration work was underway and advised passengers to check the latest train status before commencing their journeys.
Officials said traffic on both carriageways of the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, as well as the old Mumbai-Pune highway, had been suspended until further notice as heavy rain continued to lash the region.
Traffic on the Pune-bound carriageway of the Khopoli-Kusgaon Missing Link was diverted early Monday after a landslide near the exit of Tunnel 2, while several stretches of the old highway were rendered impassable due to flooding and overflowing water.
In a public advisory, police urged commuters to avoid travelling between Pune and Mumbai until conditions improve.
"Citizens are requested not to undertake any journey between Pune and Mumbai until further directions are issued. Those planning to travel are advised to postpone their journey and follow traffic advisories and updates issued by government agencies," the advisory said.
On its part, the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) also said traffic diversions had been in place since 4 am as a precautionary measure.
It said the situation was being monitored in coordination with the Highway Traffic Police and advised motorists to avoid the route unless absolutely necessary.
Police said flood-like conditions had developed in parts of Maval and Tamhini Ghat, severely disrupting alternate routes connecting the two cities. Officials also said the expressway was shut between the Connecting Link and Missing Link sections after a concrete pillar collapsed onto the carriageway.
The Highway Traffic Police control room said vehicular movement along the Khandala Ghat stretch also remained severely disrupted due to waterlogging and landslides.
Amid forecasts of more heavy rainfall, authorities also declared a holiday on Monday for all government, private and civic-run schools and colleges in Mumbai, Pune, Thane and Palghar districts.
Source: ANI