Mumbai: Central Railway Plans Electronic Interlocking At Over 14 Stations Following Kanjurmarg Fire

Mumbai's Central Railway is proposing to install electronic interlocking at over 14 stations, including Kanjurmarg, following a devastating fire that caused extensive disruption to suburban services last week. The fire at Kanjurmarg station on October 26 damaged signalling cables, leaving 24 signals non-functional and leaving thousands of commuters stranded for nearly nine hours. Three passengers tragically died after stepping onto the tracks during the chaos.

Electronics interlocking is a computer-controlled system that manages signals, routes, and track points, replacing older relay-based equipment and minimizing human error. The proposed installations aim to bolster signalling reliability, especially on the heavily used Mumbai suburban network where even a localized failure can impact services across multiple stations. However, the plan is still in the early stages of implementation.

The incident has prompted the railway administration to review its signalling systems and implement measures that prevent similar failures. An investigation by a three-member committee comprising senior officials from various departments is ongoing. The committee, tasked with determining the cause of the fire, assigning responsibility, and recommending preventive measures, is expected to submit its report within the next two days.

The findings are expected to provide clarity on the incident and guide future upgrades to the signalling system.