Mumbai, November 18: Due to a massive mega block on the central line in Mumbai on Sunday, local and long-distance train services are disrupted between Kalyan and Dombivali for six hours. The six-hour long block commenced at 9:30 am as the railways today started demolishing the 104-year-old Patri Pool Bridge in Kalyan. To avoid any inconvenience to the commuters, the Central Railway is running 178 special trains between Kasarat/Karjat/Khopoli and Kalyan and also between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Dombivali.  Mega Block on Sunday, November 18, 2018: Mumbai Local Train Services To Be Affected On Central And Western Lines, No Block On Harbour Line

On the request of the railways, Kalyan Dombivali Municipal Transport (KDMT) is operating special buses between the two stations on the new Patri Pool bridge after every 10-15 minutes. MSRTC is also running 25-30 special bus services from Pune and Nasik to compensate for the cancellation of intercity trains. Frequent announcements are also being made at the stations for the commuters. The Central Railway has also deployed senior officials for monitoring the smooth execution of work. Four staff each have been deployed to ensure all assistance to passengers at Kalyan, Dombivali, Bhiwandi Road, Diva and Vithalwadi stations.

The decision to dismantle the bridge was taken in July, after a study conducted by the BMC and IIT-Bombay found it to be "unfit" for sustaining traffic. Since July, heavy vehicles were banned from plying on the bridge, whereas, lighter vehicles and two-wheelers were stopped from August 22.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 18, 2018 01:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).