Title - 17 coaches derail while shunting, 50 Suburban services on WR cancelled, many more delayed

Mumbai:  The suburban railway services were hit Tuesday after 17 coaches that were being shunted derailed at 4.15 am near Parel car shed. At least 50 services were cancelled and many more delayed as all the five lines between Mahalaxmi and Lower Parel on Western Railway were blocked.

An inquiry has been ordered into the incident, a senior railway official said.

According to railway officials, the coaches were being sent off for periodic overhauls (POH), when the rear set of wheels derailed near the track while it was entering the Parel car shed. The derailment blocked the entire suburban section. POH is the overall maintenance work conducted on railway coaches every 18 months.

“Coaches scheduled for maintenance are generally sent off to the car shed when local services are not operating. The crossovers connecting tracks between the two stations are so designed that all the coaches that were being sent off blocked the tracks,” said an official.

Officials said normalcy in services was restored after 8 am.