Surat: Western Railway has announced a mega block from May 13 to May 15 for the commissioning of an automatic block signalling system on the Udhna–Jalgaon railway section.

As part of the work, non-interlocking operations will be carried out at Udhna railway station, Niyol railway station and Chalthan railway station. Railway authorities said the work is aimed at improving operational efficiency and train movement on the route.

Due to the block, several passenger and freight train services passing through South Gujarat will be partially cancelled, short-terminated or delayed. Passengers have been advised to check train schedules and running status before commencing their journey.

On May 13, Train No. 12935 Bandra–Surat Express will operate only up to Navsari, while services between Navsari and Udhna will remain cancelled.

Similarly, Train No. 09055 Bandra–Udhna Special will be short-terminated at Bilimora, while Train No. 19046 Tapti Ganga Express will run only up to Chalthan station.

The originating stations of return services have also been revised. Train No. 12936 will now depart from Navsari, Train No. 09056 from Bilimora and Train No. 19007 from Chalthan.

Railway officials said long-distance trains, including Chennai–Ahmedabad and Kakinada–Hisar services, may be delayed by 30 to 40 minutes, while several other mail and express trains are expected to run behind schedule by 10 to 15 minutes. Bandra–Delhi Sarai Rohilla and Dadar–Porbandar trains may face delays of around two-and-a-half hours.

Freight train operations will also be affected during the block period. Officials said goods trains may be detained for four to eight hours or diverted through the Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) to minimise disruption to passenger services.

Changes in train routes and short terminations during mega block

According to the notification issued by Western Railway, several trains will be short-terminated and their routes modified during the mega block on the Udhna–Jalgaon section.

• Train No. 12935 Bandra–Surat Express: On May 13, the train will operate only up to Navsari. Services between Navsari and Udhna railway station will remain cancelled.
• Train No. 09055 Bandra–Udhna Special: The train will terminate at Bilimora instead of Udhna.
• Train No. 19046 Tapti Ganga Express: The train will be short-terminated at Chalthan railway station.

Station-wise block schedule

• May 13: Work will be carried out at Udhna station.
• May 14: Block operations will take place at Niyol railway station.
• May 15: Modernisation work will be undertaken at Chalthan station.

Changes in originating stations of return trains

• Train No. 12936 will now originate from Navsari.
• Train No. 09056 will depart from Bilimora.
• Train No. 19007 will originate from Chalthan station.