Central Railway recorded seven chain-pulling incidents involving both suburban and long-distance trains.
The first incident was reported at Kalyan station early in the morning when the emergency chain of the Gorakhpur Express (20103), travelling from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), was pulled between 5.27am and 5.41am. The train remained stationary for 14 minutes, affecting five local trains each in the up and down directions. The chain was pulled between 9.18am and 9.22am, delaying the service and inconveniencing commuters. The LTT-Mau weekly express (15182) was detained between Kalyan and Shahad after its emergency chain was pulled between 12.34pm and 12.47pm. At Kalyan, the chain of the Udyan Express (11301) was pulled twice, in its seventh and 11th coaches, between 1.15pm and 1.22pm.
Railway officials said unauthorised chain-pulling affects not just the train concerned but also services operating behind it, resulting in cascading delays. During the morning peak, a similar incident occurred on a Titwala local between Vidyavihar and Kurla. The incident affected local trains following the express. Passengers have been urged to use the emergency chain only in genuine emergencies.
MUMBAI: With trains packed with passengers heading to their native places, some commuters resorted to pulling emergency chains to get into trains, disrupting railway operations on Monday.