Pune: Central Railway on Thursday cancelled 14 trains, including Deccan Queen, Deccan Express and CSMT-Pune Intercity Express, from July 10 to 17 to facilitate ongoing restoration work on the landslide-affected Lonavla-Karjat ghat section, disrupting travel plans and leaving many passengers, especially pass holders, stranded.Other trains cancelled till July 17 are Hubballi-Dadar Express, CSMT-Hyderabad Express, Daund-Indore Express and Chennai Egmore Express in both directions. Besides, eight more trains, including the Mahalaxmi Express, Jodhpur-Hadapsar Express and Satara-Dadar Express, have been cancelled on select dates between July 10 and July 17. Eight special trains have also been withdrawn during the period.Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the restoration efforts on Thursday and described the damage as “significant and extensive”, highlighting that restoring normal operations would take time amid the challenging conditions at the site.Railway officials confirmed that bookings for these trains will remain suspended till July 17. Chief public relations officer Swapnil Nila said, “The decision was taken to reduce uncertainty for passengers. Restoration of all three lines is under way, but considering the extent of the damage and difficult working conditions, the process will take time. Advance cancellations will allow passengers to plan their journeys better.”Earlier in the day, railway officials had indicated that another track on the ghat section could become operational, potentially allowing more trains to resume normal services. Sources in the Central Railway, however, said those efforts did not yield the desired results. “Restoration work has been intensified with additional manpower and machinery. One of the three tracks was restored on July 7, and the workforce at the site has been increased to 1,100 personnel supported by heavy equipment,” Nila said.The disruption began after a landslide triggered by incessant rainfall struck the section between Thakurwadi Cabin and Monkey Hill in the early hours of Monday, severely affecting rail connectivity between Mumbai and Pune.. Since then, passengers have faced cancellations, diversions, short-terminated services, rescheduling and altered train operations.Pune rail division PRO Hemant Kumar Behera said only one of the three tracks was operational, allowing limited train movements. “Intercity services like the Pragati Express and Sinhagad Express are currently running between Mumbai and Pune. The single-track operation has enabled some trains that were previously diverted to run on their normal route, though train operations remain subject to change,” he said.The officials said the closure of two tracks disrupted the conventional banker locomotive system used on the steep Lonavla-Karjat ghat section. “Normally, banker locomotives are attached at Lonavla for trains heading towards Mumbai and at Karjat for trains travelling towards Pune. With limited track availability, trains are currently being operated with two locomotives attached at the front,” Behera said.The prolonged disruption has continued to affect passengers. Nitant Chury expressed frustration on social media after Hussain Sagar Superfast Express (12701) was partially cancelled between CSMT and Pune. “How are passengers supposed to reach Pune now? If we have to bear the cost of travelling nearly 200km ourselves, why is Railways charging the full fare?” his online post read.Daily commuter Pravin Khatre also highlighted the difficulties faced by regular passengers. “My monthly second-class Deccan Queen pass costs Rs 840, but I’m spending extra on alternative tickets because the train isn’t running. The two Pune-Mumbai trains that are operating are overcrowded as several key services remain suspended,” he said.Train Cancellation dateCMST-Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express July 10-17Jodhpur-Hadapsar Express July 10-17Satara-Dadar Express July 11, 13 & 14Dadar-Satara Express July 10, 12,13 & 17Dadar-Sainagar Shirdi Express July 9, 11, 14-16Sainagar Shirdi-Dadar Express July 10, 12 ,15-17CSMT-Gorakhpur Express July 10-15Gorakhpur-CMST Express July 12-17Pune-Gorakhpur Express July 10-15The Gorakhpur-Hadarsar Express July 11-16Pune-Gazipur City Express July 10 & 14Gazipur City-Hadapsar Express July 12 & 16Pune-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express July 10Hazrat Nizamuddin-Pune Express July 11
