Surat: The redevelopment work at Surat Railway Station has led to fresh inconvenience for rail passengers after Western Railway extended the ongoing traffic block till May 30 due to delays in through-roof launching work on platforms 2/3 and 4.

The block was earlier scheduled to end on May 15, but railway authorities said the critical infrastructure work could not be completed on time, forcing an extension.

To manage operations during the disruption, railway officials have made special arrangements:

• Train No. 12936 Surat–Bandra Terminus will be brought to Surat only after completion of the empty rake block so it can depart on schedule.
• Additional railway staff have been deployed at Udhna Railway Station.
• Staff of Train No. 69109 Surat–Vadodara MEMU have been instructed to sign on two hours earlier than usual.

Trains affected due to the extended block

• Train No. 12935 Bandra Terminus–Surat will terminate at Udhna between May 16 and May 30.
• Train No. 20925 Surat–Amravati will originate from Udhna between May 17 and May 29.
• Train No. 20926 Amravati–Surat will terminate at Udhna from May 16 to May 30.

The ongoing block also disrupted several intercity, MEMU and passenger trains arriving from Mumbai towards Surat on Wednesday. Some trains were terminated at Navsari, while services between Navsari, Udhna and Surat were temporarily cancelled, leaving hundreds of passengers stranded.

In response, the railway administration coordinated with Gujarat State Road Transport Corporation to arrange emergency transport facilities. Eight GSRTC buses were stationed near the Navsari West bypass area, through which nearly 500 passengers were transported from Navsari to Surat.

Railway authorities have advised passengers to check train running status and schedule changes through reservation charts and the National Train Enquiry System (NTES) app before travelling.