Mumbai, July 6: Severe weather conditions have halted primary transport links between Mumbai and Pune after multiple landslides and structural damage blocked key expressways and railway lines early Monday morning. The continuous downpours have disrupted daily commutes, forcing authorities to reroute traffic and cancel numerous intercity transport services.
Central Railway suspended operations on the vital Bhor Ghat stretch after mudslides struck near Thakurwadi and Khandala, completely obstructing all three transit lines. The disruptions led to the cancellation of 16 major long-distance train services, including the Deccan Queen, Intercity Express, and Sinhagad Express, while several other routes required short-termination.
Railway teams are working to clear the tracks safely despite ongoing heavy rainfall in the ghat sections. Chief Public Relations Officer Swapnil Nila asserted, “The continuous, heavy rainfall in the South East Ghat section had severely impacted operations, forcing the railway network to cancel, divert, and regulate numerous long-distance services.”
Road transport faced parallel challenges as the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation suspended vehicular movement on both the Mumbai-Pune Expressway and the old highway. A concrete pillar collapsed onto the expressway between the Connecting Link and Missing Link sections, necessitating immediate traffic diversions by the Highway Traffic Police at Khandala Ghat.
The Highway Traffic Police control room advised commuters to delay travel while clearing operations proceed in the waterlogged sections. Government representatives affirmed that restoration work is underway across all primary transit corridors to safely resume connectivity as soon as environmental conditions permit.
