To stop boulders and rocks from sliding on the railway tracks during the monsoon, Central Railway (CR)'s Mumbai division has upgraded its infrastructure to prepare for the monsoon season. It has secured the Bhor and Thal ghats and mountain ranges on the Kalyan-Kasara-Karjat route with extensive netting.
This year, the focus has been on expanding the boulder netting in the ghat sections, which now covers 60,000 square meters. This has seen a huge increase from the previous year's 500 square metres.
Moreover, to prevent snow and mudslides from affecting rail operations, 450 metres of Canadian fencing have been installed. This is a significant rise from the 40 metres enclosed last year.
There are 1200 m of new catch water drains that direct the rainwater flow more effectively. The railway has doubled the length of dynamic rockfall barriers to 650 meters. It will make sure that any detached rock mass is captured before it can reach the tracks.
Additionally, CR has increased the number of steel roof-like structures along tunnels to 170 metres from 44 metres last year. This will prevent the rocks from falling through the tunnels. Sump pumps have been strategically placed at 13 locations to collect falling rocks. Tunnel sounding has been done at 18 spots to detect structural issues.
Railway 'hill gangs' have been deployed to scan the ghat sections thoroughly. They will also do tunnel sounding, clear vegetation, and maintain streams. These teams are trained by professional trainers for operations in hilly terrain. They walk about 7 kilometres every day in groups of 2 to 3 to inspect the hills daily.
The material quality used in these safety measures undergoes rigorous lab testing. Routine site inspections were conducted by top officials and consultants. They were guided by experts from Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd and IIT Bombay.
The Western Railway (WR) has also initiated several preparatory projects. The divisional railway manager of Mumbai Central, Niraj Verma, inspected Vasai Yard on June 12. The goal was to make sure all work adhered to the highest standards.
As per reports, innovative solutions, such as a gated aperture in the protection wall and cross-draining with flexible HDPE pipes, have been used to prevent water logging issues between Vasai and Nalasopara.
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