September 27, 2017 TnH Global

60 new train services to take off in Mumbai local network

Western Railway suburban service will get 32 new trains whereas Central Railway will get 28 – 14 for the trans-harbour and 14 for the main line, as per plans drawn up by the respective zonal railways. The final numbers are still being worked out.

The local train network in Mumbai is going to get 60 new train services in one of the biggest augmentation exercises for what is called the lifeline of the metropolis. Railway Minister Piyush Goyal will flag off the 60 trains in one day, either at the end of this week or on October 1, sources said.

In his latest trip to Mumbai, Goyal had promised that the Railway Ministry was working on a strategy to augment the suburban services with new trains. There are also talks of introducing some faster services.

“As per our census, the new pockets of demand are northwards. And thanks to new commercial hubs like Bandra Kurla Complex, Lower Parel and new residential areas in Navi Mumbai, Andheri etc, the pattern of demand has changed. So we are trying to cater to that. New trains will be started from places like Dadar, Kurla, Wadala and the like. We are still working out an exact number,” DK Sharma, General Manager, Central Railway told the a daily.

The three corridors of Central Railway, choked in peak hours, are mainline, Harbour line and Trans-harbour line. The Central Line in Mumbai consists of three major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into suburban satellite towns. The suburban service in Mumbai is one of the most crowded train services in the world.

News Source: indianexpress.com