Rail services between Mumbai and Gujarat faced severe disruptions on Thursday as floodwaters rose to dangerous levels at a railway bridge between Gholvad and Umargam Road stations. Western Railway took precautionary measures by suspending operations on the affected section and canceling, diverting, or shortening several passenger services. The disruption began with the cancellation of the Bandra Terminus-Ahmedabad Lok Shakti Express, followed by other train services being affected due to the rising water levels at Railway Bridge No. 203.
The Ahmedabad–Dadar Gujarat Mail was short terminated at Valsad, while the Bhuj–Bandra Terminus Kutch Superfast Express and Bhuj–Dadar Sayaji Nagari Superfast Express were short terminated at Udhna. As conditions worsened, more services were impacted, leading to the cancellation of multiple trains including the Gujarat Queen Express, Vadnagar–Valsad Superfast Express, and others for July 23. Western Railway also announced additional cancellations affecting major inter-city services in its 7 p.m. operational update.
In addition to cancellations, several long-distance trains were diverted to alternative routes due to the flooding. The rail disruption occurred amidst heavy monsoon rainfall in South Gujarat, particularly affecting Valsad district with widespread flooding and disruptions to transportation. Rescue teams have been deployed, and schools and colleges in some districts have been ordered to close due to the continuous heavy rainfall. Despite water levels receding, Western Railway faced delays and operational constraints, although movement was gradually being restored under speed restrictions.
