Mumbai Local Trains Disrupted Again: Western Railway Services Hit During Morning Rush, Commuters Face 30–40 Minute Delays

Mumbai | August 12, 2025: Mumbai’s lifeline—the Western Railway suburban network—faced major disruptions once again on Tuesday morning during peak office hours, with commuters experiencing delays of up to 30 to 40 minutes. Frustrated passengers took to social media and the M-indicator app to report widespread delays and overcrowding.

According to Smita Rosario, Chief Public Relations Officer (PRO) of Western Railway, the delays were primarily due to a chain pulling incident on a mail train and AC local train delays caused by a heavy passenger rush that obstructed door closure.

“The pressure on door mechanisms in AC locals due to overloading affects automatic closures, which then impacts train movement and punctuality,” Rosario said.

This disruption comes on the heels of multiple technical failures on Monday, which had already slowed down services across the Western line.

• Virar Point Failure (10:45 AM, Monday):
  A technical glitch halted services for nearly an hour. Although restored by 11:40 AM, the ripple effect led to multiple cancellations and delayed trains.

• Bandra Point Failure (1:45 PM, Monday):
  Another point failure occurred on the Harbour line, causing delays in both up and down directions. Even after repairs at 2:14 PM, trains ran 10–15 minutes late during the evening rush.

In a separate incident at Vashi station around 5:07 PM on Monday, Harbour line services were temporarily suspended after a man climbed onto the roof of a Panvel–Wadala local train. Authorities immediately switched off the overhead power supply to prevent electrocution and resumed services by 5:21 PM after safely bringing the individual down. This led to a 10–15 minute halt in train movement between CSMT and Panvel, adding to the evening chaos.

With back-to-back issues affecting Mumbai’s suburban rail services, commuters are expressing growing frustration over frequent delays, poor communication, and inadequate crowd management, especially during office hours. Many have urged authorities to implement stricter checks, improve infrastructure, and increase AC local frequency to manage load better.