The third line between Mumbai and Pune along the Khandala Ghats had survived the monsoons of 2024 and 2025. So what went wrong in 2026? mid-day finds out what the preparations were and what went wrong this time.

Central Railway (CR) had earlier highlighted the uninterrupted operation of the middle line ghat section during the previous two monsoons (2024 and 2025) as evidence that extensive slope stabilisation and protection works had been effective. However, when asked what had changed this year, officials pointed to the extraordinary rainfall received over a short period.