Mumbai is preparing for the Anant Chaturdashi Ganpati visarjan rush on September 25, with Metro Line 3 and suburban railway services being extended through the night to help devotees return home after immersion processions.
Mumbai Metro Line 3 (Aqua Line) will operate throughout the night on Friday, providing an additional travel option as processions continue into the early hours of Saturday. The move is expected to help passengers avoid road congestion during one of the city’s busiest festival nights.
22 Central Railway Specials
Central Railway will operate 22 additional night suburban services during the festival period. On the Main Line, special trains will run between CSMT and Kalyan/Thane on the nights of September 23-24, September 24-25 and September 25-26.
Four additional Harbour Line services will operate between CSMT and Panvel during the night of September 25-26. These trains will halt at all stations along their respective routes.
The scheduled Down Main Line services include CSMT-Kalyan trains departing at 1:40 am and 3:25 am, along with a CSMT-Thane service at 2:30 am. On the Up line, services will leave Kalyan at 12:05 am and Thane at 1 am and 2 am.
The four Harbour Line specials will operate between 1 am and 4:05 am, covering both CSMT-Panvel and Panvel-CSMT directions.
Western Railway Adds 12 Services
Western Railway will also run 12 additional suburban services during the night of September 25-26. Six pairs will operate between Churchgate and Virar, stopping at all stations.
Immersion Arrangements
Preparations are also underway at major immersion points including Girgaon Chowpatty, Juhu Beach and Dadar Chowpatty. Girgaon Chowpatty is expected to attract large crowds as prominent Ganpati idols arrive for immersion.
With processions expected to continue late into the night, the combination of overnight Metro services and additional suburban trains is intended to provide more options for commuters.
Passengers have been advised to check the latest train schedules before travelling and allow additional time for crowd-related restrictions and traffic diversions on Anant Chaturdashi.
Source: News 18
