Central Railway: Kasara block scheduled, 17-18 October

Central Railway scheduled a traffic and power block at Kasara from 2.30 pm on 17 October 2026 to 3 am on 18 October 2026, suspending suburban services between Asangaon and Kasara during that period. The railway announced the restrictions for work on the Asangaon-Kasara third-line project, according to mid-day’s report updated on 16 October.^[1]

The timetable included changes affecting journeys starting on 18 October: cancellation of the Ballarshah-CSMT Express and a change in the starting station of the CSMT-Nanded Tapovan Express to Manmad. Pratahkal reported these arrangements from Central Railway’s press release dated 16 October 2026, numbered 2026/10/33.^[2]

The overnight restriction formed part of a 12-day programme scheduled from 7 to 18 October. The reported timetable set out planned departures after the block, but the reports do not establish whether work finished or services resumed at the scheduled times.^[1][2]

Local services and the first scheduled departures

Central Railway’s arrangements, detailed by Pratahkal, listed the first post-block local from Kasara towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) at 03.51 hours on 18 October. In the opposite direction, the first CSMT-Kasara local was scheduled to leave CSMT at 04.19 hours. These were departure times from the respective starting stations, not a common restoration time for the entire section. Timings below use the 24-hour clock.^[2]

The block arrangements shortened several Kasara-bound journeys. CSMT-Kasara locals scheduled to leave CSMT between 12.30 and 21.30 hours on 17 October were to terminate at Asangaon instead of continuing to Kasara. The 22.47 hours departure was to end at Vasind, while the 00.08 hours departure on 18 October was to end at Khadavli, Pratahkal reported.^[2]

For travel towards Mumbai, Kasara-CSMT locals listed for departure between 14.42 and 22.00 hours on 17 October were to start from Asangaon instead. Before the block, the last through local towards Kasara was scheduled to leave CSMT at 11.42 hours, and the last local towards CSMT was scheduled to leave Kasara at 13.31 hours.^[2]

Cancellations and changed starting stations

The long-distance timetable distinguished between cancellations, shortened journeys and services starting from a different station. It used JCO, meaning “Journey Commencing On”, to identify a train by the date its journey was scheduled to begin. For an overnight service, that date is not necessarily the date the train reaches the affected section.^[2]

Pratahkal listed the following among Central Railway’s cancellations:

• Train 11002, Ballarshah-CSMT Express, for the journey starting on 18 October.
• Trains 22223 and 22224, the CSMT-Sainagar Shirdi Vande Bharat services in both directions, for journeys starting on 17 October.
• Trains 12109 and 12110, the CSMT-Manmad Panchavati services in both directions, for journeys starting on 17 October.
• Train 12139, CSMT-Nagpur Sevagram Express, and train 12111, CSMT-Amravati Superfast Express, for journeys starting on 17 October.^[2]

Other services retained only part of their routes. Train 17617, CSMT-Nanded Tapovan Express, with a journey date of 18 October, was scheduled to originate at Manmad rather than CSMT. Its opposite-direction service, train 17618, with a journey date of 17 October, was scheduled to terminate at Manmad.^[2]

The Nanded Vande Bharat arrangements differed from those for the cancelled Shirdi Vande Bharat. Train 20705, Nanded-CSMT Vande Bharat, was scheduled to terminate at Nashik Road, while train 20706, CSMT-Nanded Vande Bharat, was to start there. Both changes applied to journeys dated 17 October, according to Pratahkal.^[2]

Departures moved into 18 October

Central Railway moved several departures originally assigned to 17 October into the early hours of 18 October, Pratahkal reported. Among them were:

• Train 12289, CSMT-Nagpur Duronto Express: 01.20 hours from CSMT.
• Train 12131, Dadar-Sainagar Shirdi Express: 01.45 hours from Dadar.
• Train 12167, LTT-Banaras Express: 02.00 hours from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT).
• Train 12141, LTT-Patliputra Express: 02.15 hours from LTT.
• Train 11057, CSMT-Amritsar Express: 02.30 hours from CSMT.
• Train 01079, CSMT-Gorakhpur Express: 03.00 hours from CSMT.^[2]

Separately, train 12811, LTT-Hatia Express, with a journey date of 18 October, was rescheduled to 02.30 hours. Train 22538, LTT-Gorakhpur Kushinagar Express, with the same journey date, was rescheduled to 02.45 hours. These were announced times, not records of actual departures.^[2]

Diversions affected other services rather than cancelling them. The railway assigned the CSMT-Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express and CSMT-Firozpur Punjab Mail, for journeys starting on 17 October, to the Vasai Road-Nandurbar-Jalgaon route. The LTT-Sitapur Express and LTT-Ballia Kamayani Express were among services assigned to the Kalyan-Karjat-Pune-Manmad route for that date, according to Pratahkal.^[2]

Capacity work behind the restrictions

The immediate work concerned the third-line connection at Kasara and extension of the Up Yard line towards Igatpuri. Pratahkal reported that the programme involved preparatory work, changes to the interlocking arrangements that control train routes, and follow-up work. The scheduled block affected the Up Main line, platforms 1, 3 and 4, and the Up Yard.^[2]

The capacity problem predates this block. In a project justification dated 21 August 2019, Central Railway described Kalyan-Kasara as a 67.62 km electrified double-line section where suburban, Mail and Express, and freight trains shared the same pair of tracks. The document said an additional line would relieve some of that load and provide scope for more suburban services. That was the railway’s assessment in 2019, not a measurement of present traffic.^[3]

Lokmat Times reported on 12 October 2026 that the Asangaon-Kasara work formed part of the wider third- and fourth-line project between Kasara and Kalyan. The additional infrastructure was intended to separate suburban and Mail and Express traffic and improve operating flexibility. The expected increase in train-handling capacity depended on completion and commissioning of the wider project.^[4]

References

1. mid-day.com. Cenral Railway Kasara block: Vande Bharat, Panchavati Express among … Updated 16 October 2026.
2. pratahkal.com. Kasara block affects rail traffic, several local and … on 17-18 October (title translated from Hindi).
3. Central Railway. Justification for locating the project in forest area. 21 August 2019.
4. lokmattimes.com. Central Railway Kasara Block From October 14 To 16, Train Changes … Updated 12 October 2026.