Mumbai Local News: CR installs 210 heavy-duty dewatering pumps at 117 waterlogging-prone locations

Central Railway (CR) has undertaken extensive preparations across Mumbai Division to ensure safe, reliable and uninterrupted train operations during the monsoon season. A comprehensive action plan focusing o­n prevention of waterlogging, augmentation of drainage infrastructure, protection of vulnerable locations and strengthening of ghat sections has been implemented to tackle the challenging task of train operations during monsoon.

A total of 117 waterlogging-prone locations have been identified across the Division where water levels are prone to rise above rail level during intense rainfall. To tackle these locations, 210 heavy-duty dewatering pumps ranging from 12.5 HP to 100 HP are being deployed during the monsoon period. Simultaneously, extensive cleaning of drains, culverts and bridge waterways have being carried out to ensure smooth discharge of storm water.

Central Railway has also identified 18 major flooding-prone sites for targeted intervention through a combination of temporary and permanent engineering solutions. Of these, works at 6 critical locations, including Sion-Kurla, Chunabhatti-Kurla, Vikhroli-Kanjurmarg Road and Kurla-Tilaknagar, have been completed. Additional long-term works involving bridge augmentation, track raising, micro-tunnelling and drainage improvements are progressing in phases up to 2028.

One of the most significant achievements has been the successful completion of the Thane Microtunnelling Project, a pioneering drainage enhancement initiative costing approximately INR 5.50 crore.

The project involved installation of two 110-metre-long RCC pipelines through microtunnelling technology beneath railway tracks. The work has effectively resolved the long-standing flooding problem at Thane station, where water levels previously rose above rail level during heavy rainfall. Post completion, water levels during monsoon are expected to reduce substantially, eliminating major disruptions and improving operational reliability.

To further strengthen drainage infrastructure, bridge rehabilitation and waterway augmentation works are being undertaken across the network. During 2024-25 and 2025-26, a total of 42 bridge augmentation works have already been completed, with additional projects planned for the current year.

Special attention has also been given to the challenging ghat sections between Kalyan-Lonavala-Karjat and Kasara-Igatpuri, which are vulnerable to landslides, boulder falls, washouts and slope failures during monsoon. Modern protection systems including rockfall barriers, boulder netting, boulder fall fencing, tunnel portals, gabion structures, retaining wall strengthening and boulder-catching sumps are being implemented with the aid of Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd and with technical inputs from Indian Institute of Technology.

Over the last three years, extensive protection works have significantly reduced incidents of boulder falls and weather-related disruptions in ghat sections. The MID Line Ghat section remained operational throughout the monsoons of 2024 and 2025 without any complete traffic interruption, ensuring uninterrupted movement of passenger and freight trains.

The large-scale monsoon preparedness works also included cleaning of a large number of  culverts, desilting of side drains and catch-water drains, track maintenance and lifting at vulnerable locations, tunnel inspections, leak-proofing of station platforms and railway buildings, and deployment of monsoon patrolmen in sensitive areas.

Central Railway is also working in close coordination with municipal authorities including the Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM), Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC), Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) and Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC). Joint inspections and pre-monsoon coordination meetings have also been conducted to ensure integrated action for flood mitigation and emergency response.

With these extensive preventive measures, infrastructure upgrades and coordinated preparedness efforts, Central Railway remains committed to providing safe, reliable and uninterrupted railway services to millions of passengers during the monsoon season.