MUMBAI: Western Railway (WR) has decided to raise the track level at Nalasopara and Vasai as part of a two-phase flood mitigation plan after waterlogging earlier this week disrupted suburban train services and stranded thousands of commuters overnight.As an immediate measure, WR will raise the tracks by 50 mm by the end of July. Railway officials said track raising has already been completed on the northern and southern approaches of the stations in earlier works, but the platform sections remain at the existing level.The current phase will focus on raising the tracks through the station area, which has emerged as one of the most flood-prone stretches on the suburban network.WR has also planned a second phase under which the tracks will be raised by another 400 mm as a permanent flood mitigation measure. However, the project is expected to take considerably longer because raising the tracks by such a height will require corresponding changes to station platforms, platform sheds and overhead electric equipment (OHE). Railway officials said signalling and other associated infrastructure will also have to be modified, making it a complex engineering exercise that will need to be carried out in phases while keeping suburban services operational.Western Railway officials said water at some locations between Vasai and Virar had risen to nearly one foot above rail level, making train operations unsafe. Services resumed only after water receded and drainage work and track inspections were completed on Wednesday morning.A senior Western Railway official said the railway is increasingly being forced to raise tracks at flood-prone locations because surrounding towns have not upgraded their drainage infrastructure. “Heavy rainwater from adjoining areas spills onto railway tracks, causing inundation and disrupting services. Track raising is one of the measures needed to minimise the impact,” the official said.The suspension of train services on July 6 and 7 Tuesday left thousands of commuters stranded across the Vasai-Virar section. With local trains cancelled and public transport scarce late at night, many passengers walked home along the railway tracks using the flashlights on their mobile phones.
