No mega block on Mumbai locals on Ganeshotsav Sunday, only 4-hr Thane-Kalyan work

With Sunday a holiday during Ganeshotsav, large crowds are expected at Mumbai's public Ganesh pandals for darshan. Keeping this in mind, the railways have taken an important decision for local train passengers.

Central Railway will take a block on the fifth and sixth routes between Thane and Kalyan from 9 am to 1 pm on Sunday. However, there will be no regular mega block on the main line, harbour line, trans-harbour line and the Belapur-Uran port route.

Various engineering and maintenance works will be carried out on the fifth and sixth routes between Thane and Kalyan from 9 am to 1 pm on Sunday, for which the block is being taken on these routes. During this time, some mail and express trains will be diverted from the fast line between Thane and Kalyan. Long-distance passengers travelling on this route will therefore need to check the timetable before planning their journey.

With heavy crowds expected in different parts of Mumbai due to Ganeshotsav, there will be no regular mega block on Central Railway's main, harbour and trans-harbour routes. There will also be no mega block on the Belapur-Uran port route. This means Mumbaikars heading out for Ganpati darshan are unlikely to face major disruption in their local train travel. Taking advantage of the Sunday holiday, many devotees will travel to see Mumbai's famous public Ganesh idols.

There is relief for Western Railway passengers too. There will be no block on Western Railway during the day on Sunday. This will allow devotees travelling from the western suburbs to south Mumbai or other areas for Ganpati darshan to get the full benefit of local train services.

The block between Thane and Kalyan will also affect the Vasai Road-Diva MEMU service, so its timetable has been changed. The 61003 MEMU leaving Vasai Road at 9.50 am will now be stopped at Kopar station instead of going up to Diva station. Similarly, the Diva-Vasai Road 61004 MEMU will now leave from Kopar at 11.45 am instead of from Diva station.

So while there will be a four-hour block on the fifth and sixth routes between Thane and Kalyan, the absence of a regular mega block on Mumbai's main local routes will bring major relief to Ganesh devotees. However, passengers will need to keep the changed timetable of the Vasai-Diva MEMU in mind. Heavy crowds are expected at Mumbai's railway stations on the Ganeshotsav Sunday, so passengers should plan their journeys in advance as far as possible and follow the railway administration's announcements.