Mumbai local train services were brought to a standstill when two major technical snags hit the Central Railway (CR), delaying trains up to 90 minutes and forcing passengers to walk on the tracks to reach the next station. In the rush and confusion, three commuters reportedly died in separate track-crossing incidents at Bhandup and between Ghatkopar and Vikhroli.

Commuters travelling on the Thane/Kalyan-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) corridor faced delayed trains up to 90 minutes , overcrowding on platforms, and nearly four-hour-long journeys.

The first snag on the Mumbai local trains occurred around 9.23 am on the stretch between Mulund and Thane, when a foreign object fell on the overhead equipment (OHE), causing an insulator on the down line towards CSMT to burst.

Seven minutes later, at around 9.30 am, a suspected short circuit triggered a fire in the signalling relay room at Kanjurmarg station, rendering nearly 24 signals inoperative.

The railway officials said the fire, initially…