**Mithi River Flooding Disrupts Central Railway Services in Mumbai**
Heavy rainfall has caused the Mithi River in Mumbai to overflow, resulting in the suspension of railway services on both the Central and Harbour lines for over four hours. As of 2:22 PM, the water level near Kurla and Chunabhatti had decreased to 3.3 meters, but it surged back to 3.6 meters by 2:53 PM due to ongoing heavy rains and low tide conditions in the Arabian Sea. Consequently, approximately 15 inches of water has accumulated on the railway tracks at Kurla station.
Local trains can operate with up to six inches of water on the tracks, while mail trains can function with up to four inches. Currently, eight outstation trains are stranded, including the Delhi-CSMT Rajdhani Express, which is halted at Ghatkopar, along with others stuck at Thane, Kalyan, and various locations.
Central Railway officials are monitoring the situation closely, awaiting the water levels in the Mithi River to recede before resuming local and outstation train services. Floodgates were closed around 8:30 AM, preventing excess water from draining due to the heavy rainfall. A total of 136 pumps are actively working to redirect water into the sea, with 107 operated by Central Railways and 29 by the Mumbai civic body, BMC.
Although the floodgates were opened at 11 AM, the heavy rains hindered water drainage from the Kurla area. Authorities are hopeful that the water will recede before the anticipated high tide at 8:30 PM. In response to the severe weather, Central Railway has canceled 14 trains from CSMT on Tuesday, with an additional five trains terminating at Panvel, Pune, and Igatpuri.
The combination of high tides in the Arabian Sea and over 185 mm of rainfall in the Kurla area over the past 12 hours has severely impacted Central Railway services. Many passengers are stranded at various railway stations, including CSMT, although the overall crowd is lower than usual due to the closure of offices, schools, and colleges.
Despite the disruptions in the Kurla area, other Central Railway services are operating smoothly. Local train services continue to run without issues on the Harbour lines between Panvel and Vashi, the Trans-Harbour lines between Thane and Vashi, and the main lines such as Thane-Kalyan-Kasara and Thane-Kalyan-Karjat.
**FAQ**
**What caused the disruption of Central Railway services in Mumbai?**
The disruption was caused by heavy rainfall leading to the overflow of the Mithi River, resulting in significant water accumulation on railway tracks.