Central Railway mulls moving block on October 16

Officials worry that the Marathi-speaking or Marathi population using CR may get angry if they shut down the trains on the day a march of the Maratha community is planned

The Central Railway (CR) is considering whether it should go ahead with the scheduled October 16 block, which was planned in view of the Maratha community’s protests on the same day at Diva station.

The CR had announced three blocks of 10 hours on October 2, 16 and 23 respectively to complete the work like realignment of tracks and line at the stations that will enable the railway officials to halt fast trains at the stations.

Officials said that they might have to either advance or postpone the October 16 block but that the latter is likely, as the work itself is quiet complex. “Firstly CR runs the trains within Maharashtra and our mainline carries the Marathi-speaking or Marathi population so if we shut down the trains on the day such a sensitive march is taking place the people will get angry. Also the Diva block will lead to complete and partial cancellations of mail express trains so anyone who is coming in to support the march too might find himself stranded,” said an official on the condition of anonymity.

The CR had taken one such 10-hour block in the month of September, which was finished within the stipulated time but work at Diva like building a new platform, cutting and realigning the tracks into a new trajectory will require three more 10-hour blocks, the official said. “If we have to advance the October 16 block then we cannot do it on a weekend but on a week day, which is almost next to impossible in Mumbai suburban. So it is likely that this block will be taken on October 23 and the third on the next weekend.”

The demand for fast trains to halt at Diva was born when commuters had rioted at the station in January of last year, when trains were running late.