Over 300 Mumbai daily local trains cancelled due to major railway line work
Mumbai: More than 300 Mumbai local trains traversing daily on the Western Railway network will be cancelled between December 26 and 29 due to a major infrastructure upgrade between Kandivli and Borivli, officials said.
Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway, said that a large-scale block has been imposed for work related to the construction of a sixth railway line. As a result, around 320 to 350 suburban train services will remain cancelled on December 26-29 and again on January 10 to facilitate non-interlocking and signalling-related works, reported by NDTV on Saturday.
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Abhishek reportedly said the block is part of a 30-day construction schedule, which began on December 20 and is expected to conclude by January 18, 2026. He added that most of the work is being carried out during late-night and early-morning hours to minimise inconvenience to commuters.
On the completion of the block, the metropolis will get a new railway line between two busy stations on the Western railway network, helping to make the suburban commute smoother.
As part of the ambitious Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), a separate sixth line is being laid between Borivali and Mumbai Central to segregate suburban and long-distance trains.
"Once completed, Mumbai will get a 3 to 3.5-km-long sixth line between Kandivali and Borivali stations," NDTV quoted Abhishek as saying.
Western Railway currently operates over 1,400 local train services daily between Churchgate and Dahanu, covering a distance of around 125 km.
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Three teenage pregnancies reported in Karnataka within six months
Bengaluru: Karnataka has reported three cases of teenage pregnancies within the past six months, with the latest incident coming to light at a private school in Channarayapatna town of Hassan district, reported by The New Indian Express on Saturday.
Experts and child rights officials have expressed serious concern over the recurring cases, pointing to gaps in child protection mechanisms within educational institutions. They have cited the absence of child protection committees in schools, lack of awareness about the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, inadequate sex education, and parental ignorance as key factors contributing to such incidents.
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The commission’s chairman, Shashidhar Kosambe reportedly said, the main reason is not implementing the Karnataka State Child Protection Policy, 2016, in schools, especially at residential schools like those in Yadgir and Koppal where such incidents have taken place.
According to the policy, the commission must have two teachers or school officials and two outsiders who work in the interest of child rights, so that there is no prejudice whenever complaints are filed.
“It is the responsibility of the commission to monitor children and school staff. Awareness programmes on child protection policies, the POCSO Act, and sexual abuse must be conducted regularly for students and staff. Police must be informed immediately when a violation is detected. The policy and the commission must become part of the ecosystem and shouldn’t be treated as extra work,” TNIE quoted Kosambe as saying.
Psychiatry professor at ESI hospital, Rajajinagar, Dr Chandrashekar said, many adolescent girls become pregnant when they are sexually abused by their male friends. The victims undergo a lot of physical changes and mental trauma because of the way others respond. Therefore, whenever we come across a pregnant teenager, especially the victims of sexual abuse, we provide counselling to the victim as her family members.
