Muck Special To The Rescue: How Western Railway Is Trying To Outrun Mumbai’s Monsoon

Nikunj Parikh - Mumbai Bureau May 31, 2026 1,200 Views

Western Railway has ramped up its monsoon preparedness campaign on its suburban network, with the introduction of “Muck Special” trains to remove thousands of tonnes of silt, garbage and debris from the tracks and drainage lines ahead of the first big showers. The target is simple and bold – to ensure the operation of Churchgate-Virar residents even in the event of water inundation in the city.

The Western line suburban rail network in Mumbai has managed two relatively disruption-free monsoons and railway officials are clearly eager to maintain that trend in 2026. Western Railway is also working to complete a number of key drainage works and new storm-water lines and flood-monitoring improvements before a self-imposed deadline of the end of May.

Inside The Muck Special Operation

Since the end of last monsoon, Western Railway has already completed over 480 trips of muck special trains, carrying almost 24,000 tonnes of muck, silt and waste out of sensitive areas. These four to six coach trains collect debris from culverts, nullahs and rail land and transport it to disposal sites outside the city limits, thus clearing drainage channels before heavy rains. The number of muck special trips is being increased to approximately 600 this year, up 80 per cent from previous years, to keep up with the increased garbage volumes and encroachments along tracks.

Drainage, Pumps And Flood Watch

In addition to track cleaning, Western Railway has also commenced desilting and strengthening of almost 60 km of drains on the suburban corridor, with over 50 km of desilting and strengthening works completed and 2 km of old drains repaired and 3 km of new ones laid. Some 58 culverts and bridge waterways have been cleaned, and track-raising and micro-tunnelling at strategic choking points will help to speed up the flow of water during cloudbursts. Western Railway has installed 126 high-capacity dewatering pumps at vulnerable locations, up from 104, and connected them to rain gauges and local flood-alert systems, to deal with intense spells.

Monsoon Readiness Highlights

Over 24,000 tonnes of muck has been cleared from tracks, drains and culverts to date.
More than 480 special train trips already run; 600 trips planned for this season.
Desilting of 50+ km of drains completed out of a 60 km target on suburban sections
Cleaning of approximately 58 culverts and waterways, and track-raising at flood prone locations.
126 high capacity dewatering pumps installed for dewatering around important stations to prevent waterlogging.