Mumbai: With local trains taking nearly an hour or more to reach CSMT from Thane amid Monday’s Central Railway disruption, commuters scrambled to find alternative routes, combining suburban trains, autorickshaws, buses and Metro services to reach their destinations. Some switched between multiple modes of transport, while others abandoned their journeys after getting stuck for prolonged periods. Several commuters were forced to walk along railway tracks in the sweltering sun to reach the nearest station, with many saying the extended travel time had left them dehydrated.Thane resident Nitin Jadhav took a Trans-Harbour line train and then travelled to Bhandup, from where he boarded another local towards CSMT. With the journey from Thane to south Mumbai taking nearly an hour or more because of the disruption, he opted for an alternative route.Nilesh Sangoi from Ghatkopar took an autorickshaw to Tilak Nagar and boarded a Harbour line train to CSMT, bypassing the disruption on the Main Line.Another commuter, Rajeev Sharma, travelled by autorickshaw from Bhandup to Ghatkopar, took Metro Line 1 to Marol and then switched to Metro Line 3 to reach CSMT.Prasad Salvi, a Mulund resident, took the Metro to Shivaji Park and then travelled by bus to reach Mulund, combining two modes of transport to navigate the disruption.For some commuters, however, prolonged delays forced them to abandon their journeys. Narendra Shinde said his train remained stationary for nearly an hour between Mulund and Nahur, prompting him to turn back.“My train was stuck for almost an hour between Mulund and Nahur. I decided to return by taking a Rapid Taxi,” he said.Kalyan resident Kamlesh Singh said his journey was smooth until Thane, but the disruption thereafter left him struggling to make progress towards his destination.“My journey till Thane was smooth. After that, it took one hour to reach Ghatkopar. I missed my appointment and decided to go back home as I was told that things would remain the same till late in the evening,” he said.The disruption followed a signalling failure at Kanjurmarg, where a fire in a relay room around 9.33 am caused signals to go blank. Train movements were affected between Vikhroli and Bhandup across all six lines. A separate incident involving a wire of unknown origin hanging from overhead equipment between Mulund and Thane further compounded the disruption.Several commuters were stranded on trains for 70 to 90 minutes, while others who got down and walked along the tracks had to negotiate the heat to reach nearby stations. The prolonged journeys, long waits and physical exertion left many feeling dehydrated, adding to the hardship on a day when the suburban network struggled to maintain normal services. Long-distance train arrivals and departures were also delayed.
