Monsoon throws Mumbai transport off track; flights diverted, trains cancelled, buses rerouted

4 min readJul 6, 2026 08:39 PM IST

Commuters navigate rain-soaked railway tracks as restoration work continues after a landslide disrupted rail services in the Mumbai–Pune ghat section amid relentless monsoon rains. (Express Photos by Akash Patil and Narendra Vaskar)

Heavy monsoon rain continued to cripple Mumbai’s transport network on Monday, disrupting flight operations, halting suburban and long-distance train services, and forcing widespread bus diversions across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

At the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA), heavy rain, poor visibility and gusty winds disrupted runway operations on Monday, with five incoming flights diverted because of bad weather. These included IndiGo flights from Raipur and Singapore, Akasa Air’s Delhi to Mumbai service, Oman Air’s Muscat to Mumbai flight, and an Air India flight from Kolkata. Operations at the Navi Mumbai International Airport remained unaffected.

Airlines, including IndiGo and Akasa Air, issued advisories asking passengers to check flight status before leaving for the airport.

On the Central Railway, suburban services between Karjat and Khopoli were suspended after heavy rain triggered waterlogging, ballast washout and a track cave-in. Railway officials said services were halted around 7.50 am after the damage was detected, and restoration work began immediately.

Services on the Central Railway’s Main and Harbour lines continued with delays of five to 10 minutes, while the Port and Trans Harbour lines remained operational.

Rail services bear the brunt of the monsoon

Mumbai Local comes to a halt due to heavy rain. (Express Photo by Akash Patil)

Heavy rain also disrupted long-distance train services after a landslide between Thakurvadi and Monkey Hill Loop Cabin in the Karjat-Lonavala ghat section. Railway authorities cancelled more than 17 mail and express trains, diverted 31, short-terminated 18, short-originated 15, and rescheduled four services while debris clearance and restoration work continued.

Several long-distance trains were also cancelled. Among the prominent cancellations were the CSMT–Pune Deccan Queen, Indrayani Express, Deccan Express, Sinhagad Express and Pragati Express. Several long-distance services, including the Ahmedabad–Kolhapur Express, Chennai–CSMT Mail and Konark Express, were diverted via alternate routes, while the Solapur–CSMT Vande Bharat Express was short-terminated at Pune and its return service from CSMT was made to originate from Pune. Central Railway said restoration work was underway to clear debris and restore operations on the affected section.

Story continues below this ad

The Western Railway was also affected. Suburban services on the Vasai-Virar section were suspended because of waterlogging at Kelve Road, Saphale and Nalasopara stations. Churchgate bound local trains were delayed by 20 to 25 minutes, while several long distance trains between Mumbai and Gujarat were short terminated, reversed or rescheduled. Help desks were set up at Borivali and Virar stations, where stranded passengers were provided food and drinking water.

In a separate incident, a tree branch fell near GTB Nagar station on the down Harbour line towards Panvel, disrupting suburban services for about 25 minutes before normal operations resumed around 3 pm.

Road transport was similarly hit as waterlogging slowed traffic across several parts of the city. The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking diverted more than 64 bus routes during the morning peak hours because of inundated roads, uprooted trees and damaged manhole covers. Diversions were reported from Nariman Marg, Bhandup, Goregaon, Mulund, Vidyavihar and Andheri.

Inter city bus services were also affected. Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) officials said Mumbai Pune bus services remained suspended through Monday. Four buses headed towards Mumbai were stranded near the Urse toll plaza early in the morning before being turned back to Pune.