Pune, July 8 -- One of Maharashtra's busiest rail corridors connecting its two largest cities is set to remain shut for an unprecedented third consecutive day on Wednesday, an exceptionally rare disruption for the Pune-Mumbai route that carries thousands of commuters and long-distance passengers daily. Even as railway engineers worked round the clock to clear landslide debris in the Khandala-Lonavla ghat section, Central Railway said train services are unlikely to resume on July 8 as extensive restoration and safety inspections continue. Rail traffic between Pune and Mumbai remained completely suspended for the second straight day on Tuesday after a massive landslide between Thakurvadi Cabin and Monkey Hill Cabin on the Lonavala-Karjat section damaged tracks and overhead equipment. Railway officials said the challenging terrain and the need to certify the line safe before reopening have prolonged restoration efforts. The prolonged closure has crippled one of the state's most critical transport lifelines. Besides serving thousands of daily commuters, the route is the primary rail link between Pune and Mumbai and carries several prestigious intercity trains as well as long-distance services connecting southern and central India with the Mumbai metropolitan region. As of 4 pm on Tuesday, Central Railway had cancelled 14 trains, diverted 13, short-terminated five, short-originated five, partially cancelled one and rescheduled eight trains. Among the cancelled services were the Deccan Queen, Deccan Express, Indrayani Express, Pragati Express, Sinhagad Express, Pune-CSMT Intercity Express and Solapur-Pune Intercity. Several long-distance trains, including Chennai-CSMT, Hyderabad-CSMT and Nanded-Panvel services, were diverted via Daund, Manmad and Igatpuri. The disruption left hundreds of passengers stranded at Pune Junction and other stations, with many forced to postpone travel or scramble for seats. Long queues were seen at enquiry counters as passengers sought information on cancellations, diversions and refunds. "We are making every effort to restore at least one railway line at the earliest if conditions permit," said Swapnil Nila, Chief Public Relations Officer, Central Railway. While rail passengers continued to face uncertainty, road connectivity improved significantly. In a major relief, the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) resumed Pune-Mumbai bus services from Tuesday morning through the old Pune-Mumbai highway after road conditions improved. Pune-Nashik bus services also returned to normal....