Mumbai Railway Discussions: Projects and Updates [Archive] - Page 10

Indiadreams

July 21st, 2011, 11:45 AM

i think we have seen an example of this , though not in the public transport sector

but with one of our infra projects

The BWSL has been a white elephant. Projections did not meet actual usage by a long shot.

Its losing money from what i gather.

Now i would have assumed that there would be enough rich people to get to the figure of 75,000 per day.

As things stand its some sort of joy ride area.

People i know in thane and navi mumbai cry like no tomorrow cause they have to shell out Rs25 as there is no other option.

thats the ironic mentality of mumbaikars. Will spend money on some things and nothing on others.

Metro will tap a new customer base altogether - Middle and upper middle class. I know many people travelling from Andheri W to BKC, Parel, Worli and ofcourse Andheri E by car. They would not think twice to take a Metro, if it is operational. And the numerous Bandra-Andheri commutes would just be easier. And all these people spend around Rs.200 for commute everyday.

And in your case, Dahisar to Colaba, Locals will beat Metro anyday more because of time rather than cost. Unless Metro comes up with fast lines, people would prefer Metro for commutes less than 15 km and Locals for longer commutes.

And yes offices already reached Andheri (and beound to an extent) in the last 5-7 years. It will not take much time to reach Thane and Borivli reducing the distance.

I wish island city is reserved for high end residential projects moving the offices to burbs.

Indiadreams

July 21st, 2011, 12:04 PM

If I am not worng, the buses in Mumbai charge a far higher rate compared to locals and still find takers. If Metro gives comfort and saves times, a higher fare would not be a hindrance.

Coolguyz

July 21st, 2011, 12:08 PM

Metro will tap a new customer base altogether - Middle and upper middle class. I know many people travelling from Andheri W to BKC, Parel, Worli and ofcourse Andheri E by car. They would not think twice to take a Metro, if it is operational. And the numerous Bandra-Andheri commutes would just be easier. And all these people spend around Rs.200 for commute everyday.

s.
+1
The first AC route by BEST was from oshiwara to backbay and still its njoys great following. Also there is stark difference in the way the AC buses are maintained by oshiwara depot than others helped by the kind of people travelling in it

devendra1

July 21st, 2011, 12:55 PM

BEST charge is almost 2ce the local train and as far as I know Metro will charge 1.5 times of BEST.
But if you see the fare structure of Metro Rs 10 to 20 on VAG route should easlily find takers and on other metro routes also fare will be much less than first class local ticket. So I do not see any issues.

Vicky007

July 21st, 2011, 10:32 PM

Bombayites (Mumbaikars) dont mind paying for a service.

williemore

July 21st, 2011, 11:18 PM

they shud make it two times of the IR fares... then it will be better maintained... else be ready for "pan"...

Smooth Indian

July 21st, 2011, 11:33 PM

I doubt it dude.

so many societies basically have their common areas in such shit condition cause people dont want to contribute money.

I have seen swimming pools rot cause people dont shell out.

sure but there are also societes which plan and manitain facilities very well. Additionally we have also seen Autonomous Locality Management work in mumbai wherein residents in some localities decided to contribute and improve the roads in their neighbourhood. I don't think we can lump everyone together.

Smooth Indian

July 21st, 2011, 11:40 PM

one hopes not. would make quite a change from the usual indian habit of opening airports without having transport connections in place

of course i am hoping both open within 4 years and its not a case of the rail link opening in 20 years and the airport in 25 :nuts:

makes sense. what i find distressing is that when we plan airports we donot include plans to connect then to nearby metros/communities e.g Bangalore airport. They are now trying to plan a better highway or railway route to the airport. Why din't they think of it when they were planning it? neways i am going off topic a bit. I hope they plan for railway connections to the navi mumbai airport as they are building it. Always good to have international airports with good connecting options.

MT84

July 25th, 2011, 09:17 PM

Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/2011072520110725033347940cd44603d/State%E2%80%99s-body-blow-to-WR%E2%80%99s-elevated-rail-corridor.html

Wants Virar-Churchgate rail line to terminate at Mahalaxmi instead of Oval Maidan, railway officials say it will defeat the purpose

Binoo Nair

Posted On Monday, July 25, 2011 at 03:33:28 AM

It seems the Western Railway’s (WR) ambitious multi-billion dollar elevated rail corridor project has received a death blow. The technical committee of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has termed the all-important Mahalaxmi to Oval Maidan leg ‘not feasible’.

As per the current plants, the project will have an elevated line over the existing stations between Virar and Mahalaxmi, and will go underground between Mahalaxmi and Oval Maidan, including a massive terminus.

The MMRDA report, which was recently submitted to the state Urban Development (UD) department, says the underground portion would mean disturbing prime land holdings around the existing stations between Mahalaxmi and Churchgate. It would also include opening up of Oval Maidan under the ‘cut and cover’ technique for almost two years to build the terminus.

What the state wants

The state wants the rail line to terminate at Mahalaxmi and people be transhipped by high-speed elevators to the Colaba-Bandra metro route which is being considered by MMRDA. While the WR has accepted the feasibility report of the Virar-Mahalaxmi leg, it had put the burden of the remaining leg on the State considering it would disturb areas falling under the civic body.

Sources say the other hitch is that the private companies that will participate in this public-private-partnership project might demand FSI at station areas, something the State may not be able to provide. Allowing construction of multi-storeyed railway stations is an alternative, but the current levels of congestion and lack of proper commuter dispersal channels there will turn buildings into an ‘urban nightmare’.
As per current plants, the project will have an elevated line over existing stations between Virar and Mahalaxmi, and will go then go underground till Oval

The UD department has now forwarded the file to Western Railway to take a call on what they propose to do and the file is expected to reach WR bosses by end of this week.

WR’s Defence

A senior WR official said that the WR has been quite clear that project comes upto Oval Maidan or it does not serve its purpose of decongestion of the existing ground lines. Last month, WR General Manager Kul Bhushan, along with senior officials, had apprised Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan and Planning Commission officials of the need for the rail line terminating at Oval.

“Currently, one and a half lakh people alight at Churchgate every hour during the three-hour morning and evening peak. The elevated rail line is expected to take away nearly 30 per cent of the load on the existing lines.

“Since having an undergound station at Churchgate is not feasible because of the narrow dispersal points on the roads on either sides, the elevated corridor terminus was planned undergound at Oval Maidan. Having an elevated rail till Mahalaxmi will serve no purpose,” said an official.

Bombay2Calcutta

July 26th, 2011, 02:05 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/07/26/Article//002/26_07_2011_002_012.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

July 28th, 2011, 01:21 AM

TOI (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-07-23/mumbai/29807346_1_booking-scheme-railway-stations-jtbs)
CR introduces new booking scheme
TNN Jul 23, 2011, 04.11am IST
MUMBAI: The Central Railway is introducing a computerized ticket booking scheme - Jansadharan Ticket Booking Sevaks (JTBS) - at 1,062 locations across 100 suburban stations in the city. With this, commuters can book outstation and local train tickets and even renew a season pass at local stores outside the railway stations. tnn"The idea is to make ticketing hassle free and reduce the number of passengers standing at the ticket window at the stations. The initiative will also save commuter time, as they no longer have to stand in long queues," said A K Singh, PRO, Central Railway.

The Central Railway has now called for applications for granting the licence to JTBS at locations across the city. Some of the stations that would be covered under the initiative will include CST, Byculla, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Chembur, Kalyan, Thane and Vashi amongst others.

Officials informed that a similar scheme already exists, but only 23 JTBS are operational and few people purchase tickets from the assigned stores. So the revival of the scheme is an attempt of the railways to decongest its ticket counters.

altan

July 29th, 2011, 09:15 PM

The state wants the rail line to terminate at Mahalaxmi and people be transhipped by high-speed elevators to the Colaba-Bandra metro route which is being considered by MMRDA.

Transhipped to usng high-speed elevators??? To where??? They at most would have to go two-levels.

Allowing construction of multi-storeyed railway stations is an alternative, but the current levels of congestion and lack of proper commuter dispersal channels there will turn buildings into an ‘urban nightmare’.

So the construction of multi-storeyed stations at Andheri, Bandra, RC Marg and DN Nagar will not be urban nightmares? Did they not realize this when they were planning for first two metro lines?

williemore

July 29th, 2011, 09:31 PM

i won't be surprised if they didn't realize... someone needs to RTI on money flow during such goof-ups... smellin something?

gentem

July 30th, 2011, 05:26 AM

Transhipped to usng high-speed elevators??? To where??? They at most would have to go two-levels.

So the construction of multi-storeyed stations at Andheri, Bandra, RC Marg and DN Nagar will not be urban nightmares? Did they not realize this when they were planning for first two metro lines?

Transship from elevated railway platform to metro platform in bandra i guess. No need of elevated railway there as bandra to colaba metro is better.

Bombay2Calcutta

July 30th, 2011, 04:21 PM

TNN (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/5-lifts-to-be-set-up-at-Kalyan-station/articleshow/9414163.cms)
5 lifts to be set up at Kalyan station

MUMBAI: Train commuters at Kalyan can look forward to elevators at the foot overbridge as authorities plan to provide this facility before March 2012 at this important junction on the Central Railway.

AK Singh, public relations officer, Central Railway, said, "A total of five elevators will be installed on various platforms at Kalyan station. The estimated cost for installation of this facility is around Rs 1.1 crore."

CR has already invited tenders, which are likely to be finalized by September. The work on this project will take six months to complete after the finalization of the tender. The tender conditions also includes annual maintenance of the elevator for a period of 12 months after the date of installation.

The elevator facility will be provided at the recently- constructed 12-m-wide FOB in Kalyan.

Subash Gupta, member, National Rail Users` Consultative Committee (NRUCC) said, "The railways should not spend funds on providing elevators. Such a facility already exists at CST and the response has not been good. Instead, they should speed up the proposal to provide escalators at major stations."

Singh said, "A proposal to provide escalators at major junctions on CR is already before the railway board."

Earlier this year on August 15, three lifts were inaugurated at CST on platforms 16, 17 and 18 for physically challenged passengers, women and senior citizens. However, these lifts have so far found few takers. Each lift has a carrying capacity of 9 to 10 passengers.

Gupta said, "The elevators may prove insufficient as suburban stations are crowded and can lead to a stampede as the carrying capacity is low."

Singh said, "Preference will be given to the senior citizens and handicapped commuters for using this FOB. Even the general public can make use of these elevators."

KuwarOnline

July 30th, 2011, 06:47 PM

Instead of elevators they should install escalators

zenith_suv

July 31st, 2011, 09:13 PM

Were double Decker trains ever considered a viable option?

bhargavsura

August 1st, 2011, 01:04 AM

^^

But that would mean lot more crowd and suffocation as you may know that people will always say, "thoda andar khisko yaar, adjust kar lo". Anywhere they will find space, they will adjust.

altan

August 1st, 2011, 07:18 PM

^^

But that would mean lot more crowd and suffocation as you may know that people will always say, "thoda andar khisko yaar, adjust kar lo". Anywhere they will find space, they will adjust.

But the doubling of capacity (or I shud say around 1.8x capacity) will also reduce congestion somewhat. For that though there needs to be additional investment in stations and other infrastructure.

Double-decker trains if introduced in Mumbai also need to have double the entrances i.e two-levels of entry.

MT84

August 1st, 2011, 09:06 PM

Asks Union Railway Minister to examine recommendation by MMRDA that the line end at Mahalaxmi and not Oval Maidan

Binoo Nair

Posted On Monday, August 01, 2011 at 02:16:41 AM

Impressed by a recent presentation by the Western Railway on its Elevated Rail Corridor (ECR) project, Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan has now stepped in to prevent it from being shelved.

The technical committee of Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had termed the Mahalaxmi to Oval Maidan leg of the multi-billion dollar project ‘not feasible’.

As per current plans, the project will have an elevated line over the existing stations between Virar and Mahalaxmi, and will go underground between Mahalaxmi and Oval Maidan, including a massive terminus. The MMRDA report said the underground portion would mean disturbing prime land holdings around the existing stations between Mahalaxmi and Churchgate.

WR officials argued that unless the project comes up to Oval Maidan it does not serve its purpose of decongestion of the existing ground lines, thus putting the project’s future in trouble.

On Wednesday, however, Chavan wrote to Union Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi emphasising the need for the ERC to ‘complement the mass transit initiative of the state government.’ Chavan stated that the termination of the line at Mahalaxmi, as recommended by the state government, would ‘obviate the difficulties of acquiring property south of Mahalaxmi’.

Chavan has asked Trivedi to examine ‘at his own level’ the recommendations of MMRDA’s technical team. The CM wrote that ‘while the state government whole-heartedly support the ERC, the recommendations should be examined at a ministerial level and the response of the railways conveyed to the state government at the earliest.

A WR official had previously told Mumbai Mirror (Juy 25), “Currently, one and a half lakh people alight at Churchgate every hour during the morning and evening peak time. The elevated rail line is expected to take away nearly 30 per cent of the load on the existing lines.

Since having an undergound station at Churchgate is not feasible because of the narrow dispersal points on the roads on either side, the elevated corridor terminus was planned undergound at Oval Maidan. Having an elevated rail till Mahalaxmi will serve no purpose.”

Chavan’s letter to Trivedi emphasises that the MMRDA report clearly mentions that there would be no impact of the ridership if the ERC is stopped at Mahalaxmi.

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/201108/Image/010811/C4-01.jpg
http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/201108/Image/010811/C4-01a.jpg

Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20110801201108010216563973b855483/CM-steps-in-to-save-elevated-corridor-project.html

MT84

August 2nd, 2011, 11:22 PM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/08/02/Article//006/02_08_2011_006_006.jpg
Source: http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/08/02/ArticleHtmls/court-update-Corporator-moves-HC-over-Churchgate-Dahanu-02082011006006.shtml?Mode=1

adam_india

August 3rd, 2011, 08:55 AM

aam admi

August 3rd, 2011, 11:49 AM

There was a feasibility study done to make mumbai world class station. Any news on that. Or is it gathering dust. Rakesh Mohan once said that IR is the most studied organisation. You have areport for any and everything. The only thing missing is the action. Hope they act this time.

altan

August 4th, 2011, 11:36 PM

I travelled by train to Mumbai yesterday. I have to say that the facilities at CST (long distance) are pathetic and the whole place near the platforms smells of urine...Sitting at the waiting room was like sitting next to a toilet. What a wonderful heritage building, but the shed which has been built over the platforms and the waiting areas is disgusting for a 'world famous' city. Chaos and makeshift look because no has planned anything properly. These babus destroy everything. Mumbaikars, as usual, too busy to notice anything.

Really unfortunate, because it has the potential currently to be among the world's finest stations (both in terms of architecture and usability), to be counted among the likes of Grand Central in NY or Antwerp Central Station in Belgium. Something as beautiful as this ought to be better maintained.

http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/images/h2/h2_1985.1168.11.jpg
Source: Met Museum (http://www.metmuseum.org)

Long-term, they need to decrease traffic right in front of the station, and improve the inside of the station drastically. Many master plans have come and gone, but I doubt any of them have made any impact on the state. The subways were the only decent addition to the entire complex itself.

Bombay2Calcutta

August 5th, 2011, 02:39 AM

ON SLOW TRACK
High-speed locals a distant dream
Manthan K Mehta TNN

Mumbai: For suburban commuters,thewaitfor trainsthat promise to ply at a maximum speed of 130 kmph seems to be getting longer.According to railway authorities,introduction of these trains would involvedrasticchangesin infrastructure.
The trial runs of an EMU rakefittedwith modernbodies made atI ntergralCoachF actory (ICF),which promise to clock a speed of 130 kmph,were carried out recently.The rakes,built at a cost of Rs 20 crore,assure a smoother ride as the bogies are fitted with bolster-less suspension that allow them to absorb vibrations in thecoach.
A senior Western Railway (WR ) official said,The speed limiton thesuburban corridor between Churchgate and Borivli is 100 kmph.Even the Rajdhani Express is not allowed to cross the speed limit between the two stations though it can achieve a top speedof 130-135 kmph.
To have trains running at higher speeds,WR will have to replace tracks,change the signaling equipment and make adjustment in the Over Head Equipment (OHE).It is an expensive and time-consuming process.It is not likely to happen any timesoon,hesaid.
Theexisting SiemensEMU rake with new bogies can attain a speed of 100 kmph.MRVC officials claimed that thebolster-lessbogieshavethe potential of achieve a speed of 110kmphon suburban tracks.
An importantfeatureofthe bolster-less bogies is the improved ride index of less than 3.0.This means that the new bogies will be more comfortable for the commuter,who will experience fewer jerks.Moreover,this technology will help curb the noise from thetrains

adam_india

August 5th, 2011, 07:52 AM

Long-term, they need to decrease traffic right in front of the station, and improve the inside of the station drastically. Many master plans have come and gone, but I doubt any of them have made any impact on the state. The subways were the only decent addition to the entire complex itself.

When I went there, there wasn't much problem with the traffic. Most people travel to the suburban section and that too by foot. The subway is really congested, there are a lot of shops there. It's dirty and the air circulation is a big issue, even though they seem to have installed something, it doesnt work because of the sheer number of people. The heritage building is quite OK, but I was shocked to see that a small concrete wing was created (you can see it exiting the long distance part of the station). It's typical Public Works department construction, really horrible. I've been inside the heritage building some 10 year ago (from outside it's beautiful, but on the inside many things are typical PWD). Then the platforms themselves are not part of the heritage structure. It was raining and in many places the roof was leaking. The lack of cleanliness (smell of urine) gives an air of a slum once you get out of the train. It's very dark and dreary. It has really deteriorated in the past 10 years. Almost no new things were added and the old things have started to look tardy and unkempt. The suburban ticketing section has a marvellous roof, truly breathtaking, like a church, but the pillars are not well maintained for a UNESCO heritage structure. i didnt enter the suburban platforms because I didnt need to, so I am not sure how it is on that side. Hopefully, better. My experience in travelling on the train was that smaller stations are really well kept, clean with clear signs (e.g. Lonavla). The bigger the station, the worse it is.

On the other hand, the tickets are extremely cheap, even cheaper than an equivalent ordinary bus ticket. I think they could increase the fare and provide better service. Cleanliness is the biggest issue.

gentem

August 5th, 2011, 07:58 AM

^^ I think govt is averse to escalators, only metro stations and private shopping malls, and airports use it... That would save health of so many mumbaikars. Any mumbai station has an escalator, at least upward? They are planning elevators or lift in some mumbai railway station, not escalator. I heard in Vizag railway station they have installed escalators

KuwarOnline

August 5th, 2011, 12:03 PM

CST (chhatrapati shivaji terminus)

cc takanobu rm
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-PpT8pXt6Jj8/S73FtFbPVNI/AAAAAAAAI-c/r42eoYRYjpk/s800/P1050650.JPG
https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Sdy2thsnkvk/S73FoqeilaI/AAAAAAAAI-M/2bDELevmzc8/s800/P1050647.JPG

adam_india

August 5th, 2011, 02:16 PM

^^ Is the 2nd pic from the long distance section? There was no signs showing train information, when I was there.

This is the concrete wing I was talking about. Compare it with the majesty of the terminal. http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6865/800pxmumbaicstentrance.jpg

Coolguyz

August 5th, 2011, 02:23 PM

I dont know about CST but churchgate station has 4 huge exhaust fans, some dozen air freshners but you cant escape the stench from the toilet. It holds the dubious record of the most used public toilet in the world.

adam_india

August 5th, 2011, 02:43 PM

I think the problem is the toilets within the trains, so when someone urinates there, it gets deposited on the tracks and given that the whole area is closed, it is impossible to escape the smell. The gents toilets at the long distance section is no different than a typical toilet you will find in any bus station. It is not a toilet as such, you just stand in someone else's pee and pee on a wall and the liquid matter is taken through a slope down into the drain. This is what constitutes a toilet at the main station of a world famous city. Might as well put up a pole or a tree there. Can't imagine what the ladies have to go through, it must be much worse. Sit in someone else's pee maybe.
(end of rant)

KuwarOnline

August 5th, 2011, 03:20 PM

^^ Is the 2nd pic from the long distance section? There was no signs showing train information, when I was there.

I think I saw them 3-4 months back, but not sure.

adam_india

August 5th, 2011, 03:36 PM

I guess it's suburban, because it mentions fast and slow locals

Coolguyz

August 5th, 2011, 03:49 PM

The long distance train information is shown on the right half cut indicator

World8115

August 5th, 2011, 04:17 PM

I think thats an old image as the long dist. train no.s are only 4 digits. So maybe it is an image prior to Dec 2010 :dunno:

Bombay2Calcutta

August 5th, 2011, 08:45 PM

This is a long distance trains section . The Suburban locals run from platform no 1 to 7. If you see the picture closely. On the left side there is a blue board which says that the platform no 1 to 7 are towards the left. and yes this pic was taken before Dec 2010.

altan

August 5th, 2011, 10:48 PM

^^ Is the 2nd pic from the long distance section? There was no signs showing train information, when I was there.

I believe this is from the suburban section, right where you exit it to go to the passenger terminal. The sings for the suburban sections were always there, but I think the signs for the passenger sections were installed some time ago.

This is the concrete wing I was talking about. Compare it with the majesty of the terminal. http://img43.imageshack.us/img43/6865/800pxmumbaicstentrance.jpg

Ya it looks quite crappy. Even the big entrance sign posted by @kuwaronline is badly done, what with only an image of the actual structure itself. Sadly, I think we are many years away from the CST/VT being the grand structure it once was.

MT84

August 6th, 2011, 02:11 PM

Is considering proposal to allow commuters to buy tickets by simply sending an SMS, as paper becomes a precious commodity

Virat A Singh

Posted On Saturday, August 06, 2011 at 03:21:28 AM

Proposed in 2007, Western Railway’s idea to allow commuters to book tickets by merely sending an SMS has received a boost. If only because WR officials have realised that printing tickets on paper is a cumbersome affair.

Every day, 1,900 rolls of special secured printed paper for railway tickets are used to for printing tickets - each roll can print 500 tickets.

Of these, 1,000 rolls are used just for suburban tickets, thereby on an average printing five lakh tickets daily.

With ticket sales rising by almost three per cent per year and the suburban system set to expand to areas such as Dahanu, the demand for paper is expected to go through the roof, say WR officials.

In fact on Thursday, WR said there was just enough stock for just five days. WR’s Chief Commercial Manager G S Bannerjee agreed that paper shortage is an issue and systems that reduce its usage will not just help save money but also aid WR in becoming environment-friendly.

How will system work?

While the technical details of how the system will work are ready, the Railways wants to ensure that its server remains secure
In this system, commuters will have the luxury of buying tickets using their cellphones. “A commuter can send a text message to the number set up by WR and he/she will receive a message showing the fare and confirmation.

“Once confirmed, a proper coded ticket will be sent,” said a senior railway official.

The payment will be done through the cellphone service provider.

Till date, nearly seven firms have approached WR. While some suggested that this application could be reserved only for phones with internet connections, the railway board insisted that people should be able to book tickets with even the simplest of all handsets.

“Others had difficulty in answering our most pertinent question, which was how could it be ensured that commuters who decide to go travel ticketless (say at Virar) and buy one through SMS after seeing a ticket checker (say at Marine Lines) are still penalised?” said the official, adding that finally the people from a firm, Total Technology, have assured that they have a solution for this too.

Railways unsure

Refusing to get into any major details, spokesperson of Total Technology told Mumbai Mirror, “We have developed a perfect system and have worked out all the nitty gritties including ensuring that there is no misuse or possibility of travelling ticketless and not being caught, which is the biggest concern of the Railways. If we get the approval we can set up the system within five months, includes trial and testing period.”

However, WR officials said that proposal still needs to be cleared at several levels, including a scrutiny by the Railway Board which wants to ensure that its internet server remains secure.

Railway officials said the system will have to be set up in such manner that when the mobile user sends the message, it will first go to the service provider from where there will be a series of firewalls before reaching the server built for fare enquiry and only after all these the transmission will enter the railway server.

Railway officials are also worried that setting up such a highly-protected system might end up being expensive. Secondly, the company wants to have an assured run of anything for nearly the next ten years, which the Railways feels is a very long period.

“Ten years is a very long time and we don’t think the Railways has ever given such a long assurance yet,” said an official.

Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/2011080620110806032148973a9b13506/Short-on-paper-WR-to-get-textsavvy.html

Bombay2Calcutta

August 7th, 2011, 01:29 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/08/06/Article//007/06_08_2011_007_002.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

August 7th, 2011, 01:30 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/08/06/Article//007/06_08_2011_007_003.jpg

gentem

August 7th, 2011, 08:51 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/08/06/Article//007/06_08_2011_007_002.jpg

Finally :banana: Dadar, kalyan, thane, andheri, borivili will have escalators. Any other big station? What about CST, churchgate, wadala road and bandra - aren't these crowded? God finally saves knees of mumbaikars :lol: And this will save people crossing railway tracks and dying :cheers:

Welcome mumbai local railway to 21st century :applause:

KuwarOnline

August 7th, 2011, 12:06 PM

Dadar, Andheri and Thane are crowded as hell, when two trains halt as same time, people just cant step on to FOB's there is no space at all.

bhargavsura

August 7th, 2011, 02:42 PM

Finally :banana: Dadar, kalyan, thane, andheri, borivili will have escalators. Any other big station? What about CST, churchgate, wadala road and bandra - aren't these crowded? God finally saves knees of mumbaikars :lol: And this will save people crossing railway tracks and dying :cheers:

Welcome mumbai local railway to 21st century :applause:

In fact people will be attracted to the "new" technology and this will minimize the usage of the tracks. That being said, its a long way to go. 2 years they say, but who knows if its going to happen for sure or not.

Bombay2Calcutta

August 7th, 2011, 09:13 PM

Kalyan railway station to get a ‘face-lift’ by mid-2012
The move would be a boon especially for senior citizens, pregnant women and physically challenged and those having heavy luggage

Mewati Sitaram
It is a reason for cheer for the passengers of the Kalyan railway station as it would be a thing of the past to climb railway foot-over-bridge. If everything goes as per plan, the Kalyan railway station would become first station to install lift and escalators on their platform that would become operational by mid 2012. The move would be a boon especially for senior citizen, pregnant women and physically challenged. The Kalyan railway station is an important station on central railway as not only local trains but almost all the long distance trains halt here. The passenger turnout is very heavy,keeping all this in to consideration; central railway has decided to spend Rs1.5 crore for installation of five lifts. The central railway has already floated tenders and formalities are in the advanced state of completion, revealed a highly placed source in central railway.The railway administration has decided to install lifts on platform number 1, 3, 4, and 7 but location for two more lift is yet to be decided.Lalji Sharma, a Kalyan resident, who travels to north India along with his senior citizen parents said, “It is better late then never;this is a good move by railway administration.This would help in relieving pain to senior citizens who use this station for boarding and alighting. It is also important for administration to provide liftman otherwise it would collapse due to overload as no one is patient here.” There is a proposal of installing four lifts at Dadar station and two lifts at CST after the completion of Kalyan station lifts. It may be noted that central railway has already installed two passenger lifts at CST station on August 15, 2008 connected with mainline station of 16, 17 and 18.Despite numerous attempts to throw light on this project, Ashok Kumar Singh PRO, central railway, was unable to provide appropriate
information.

Bombay2Calcutta

August 8th, 2011, 12:01 AM

TOI (http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2011-08-05/thane/29854451_1_thane-station-new-station-mental-hospital)
Extended Thane station may ease commuter's woes

Suburban train services have been catering to the needs of commuters from different pockets of the city and its suburbs since years.

The number of commuters boarding trains has increased by more than five lakh. Just when plans to build a new station at Kopri remained under the wraps for years, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) has raised the hopes to decongest traffic on the present Thane station by constructing an extended Thane station.

The TMC has taken out tenders to appoint advisors to study the feasibility to construct an extended Thane station in the area which is encroached by slum-dwellers outside the mental hospital premises.

According to sources, politicians from the Shiv Sena and Thane MLAs and MPs met Central Railway's General Manager (GM) Kulbhushan on April 25 this year to discuss the issue. According to MP Anand Paranjape, the GM suggested of having the extended Thane station. Paranjape told Thane Plus, "As the state government had rejected the proposal to construct a new station in the area that houses a mental hospital, the GM suggested that there could be an extended Thane station for which a detailed technical and financial feasibility report must be prepared. The railways will not bear the cost of the report and so the work was handed over to the TMC." "Also, the slum-dwellers will be rehabilitated under the BSUP scheme," he added. According to sources, the railway authorities found that it was not feasible to build a new station between Thane and Mulund. The new norms by the railways suggest that there should be at least a 4-km distance between two stations. But the distance between Thane and Mulund is just 2.46 km. So, the plan of building of a new station was dropped. Nahur station was constructed as the distance between Mulund and Bhandup was 5.30 km, while Kopar station was constructed as the distance between Dombivli and Diva was 6 km.

The extended station will possibly connect to both the skywalk as well as the pathway to platform number 1. Thane local trains which terminate on platform no 1 will also be halted on the extended Thane station, added MP.

According to sources, the proposal is not just restricted to local and suburban trains. In the future the monorail route from Ghatkopar-Thane-Kasarwadavali may also come up on this land. The metro rail station has also been proposed to come up here and also a TMT depot.

gentem

August 8th, 2011, 05:05 AM

It is ridiculous to take 2 years to install escalators. But one thing i fear they plan to install it in every platform or just platform 1. They can first install only on platform 1 (highest usage because of entry/exit of the station) soonest, others can be followed up if required.

Dadar, Andheri and Thane are crowded as hell, when two trains halt as same time, people just cant step on to FOB's there is no space at all.

In fact people will be attracted to the "new" technology and this will minimize the usage of the tracks. That being said, its a long way to go. 2 years they say, but who knows if its going to happen for sure or not.

KuwarOnline

August 8th, 2011, 01:58 PM

Inside CST Station

cc Ting Chen

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3509/3914377748_45d14940c7_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2448/3914386382_076dee0db0_b.jpg

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2664/3914390588_a44a417321_b.jpg
Source
http://www.flickr.com/photos/philopp/3914377748/sizes/l/in/photostream/

Bombay2Calcutta

August 12th, 2011, 02:00 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/08/12/Article//004/12_08_2011_004_007.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

August 13th, 2011, 06:51 PM

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Solar-wind-energy-for-Panvel-Roha-rly-stations/Article1-731066.aspx)
Solar, wind energy for Panvel-Roha rly stations

Solar and wind power may soon light up Central Railway stations on the outskirts of Mumbai. The CR administration is planning to set up solar panels and windmills on the land close to the stations. This would be started on the outskirts of Navi Mumbai on the Panvel-Roha section, which lacks continuous power supply due to 3 hours of power cuts daily.

There are around six railway stations on this stretch, which are industrial belts. The solar panels and windmills would supply power to platforms, canteens, food stalls, signaling systems, announcement system and railway buildings.

“There is enough space to set up solar panels and windmills close to the stations. It would be cost-effective in the long run,” said a CR official.

With the rising cost of fuel and coal, the railways are looking at other power sources. The suburban rail section consumes 300 Megawatt of power daily.

The cost of setting up a solar panel and generating 1-Megawatt of power is around Rs15 crore while the same process would cost Rs6 crore for wind energy.

“The project is at a nascent stage as the basic cost is too high,” said a senior CR official. Sources said as per norms, around 10% of power should be generated from non-conventional sources. Presently, Adarki railway station in Pune division uses non-conventional energy.

Vicky007

August 18th, 2011, 06:49 PM

Centre to appoint joint panel for railway projects.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Centre-to-appoint-joint-panel-for-railway-projects/articleshow/9642659.cms

In a bid to expedite clearances and resolve issues involving railway projects planned for Mumbai and other areas in Maharashtra, the Centre has now decided to appoint a joint action committee, which will comprise officials from the Centre and the state.

Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan met railways minister Dinesh Trivedi in New Delhi on Wednesday to discuss issues involving various pending railway projects. Trivedi took the decision during this meeting.

At the meeting, several pending projects, including one for the upgradation of Mumbai suburban network, provision of additional trains, and laying of new tracks, among others were discussed. Railway board chairman Vinay Mittal was also present at the meeting.

Claiming that elected representatives had sent several representations regarding pending railway projects, Chavan urged the minister to set up a coordination mechanism between the Centre and the state government.

A few days ago, the Maharashtra Cabinet had approved a proposal for setting up of a dedicated cell at the state level to monitor the progress of pending railway projects here.

Bombay2Calcutta

August 20th, 2011, 05:53 PM

Elevated rail to terminate at Mahalaxmi

Ashley D’Mello TNN

Mumbai: The Indian Railways’ elevated line starting from Virar, above Western Railway tracks, will have to terminate at Mahalaxmi instead of Oval Maidan at Churchgate. This is being done to avoid the demolition of buildings from Mahalaxmi to Charni Road, which are near the tracks, and to avoid problems at Churchgate’s heritage precinct.
The state government made this clear to the railways despite criticism that it was seeking the termination at Mahalaxmi to ensure that the Metro’s third line, underground from Bandra to Colaba, was not affected.
Government officials said the plan was to go up to the Oval, but a special committee of the urban development department made this recommendation. “Suburban railway commuters can change to the Metro rail, which will have a connector between the two stations at Mahalaxmi. They can also use other modes of transport,’’ they said.
The officials said the elevated project was only at the planning stage. “When it comes up, there will be Metro and monorail projects in operation. There will also be common tickets for most modes of transport, so switching modes will be easy,’’ they said.
Officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is planning the Metro, say they have had several meetings with railway officials. “We will serve commuters in various sections of the city as the routes are not along the same alignment. The conspiracy theory that state government agencies are trying to sabotage the elevated suburban railway, as it is a central government project, is not true.’’

Lalu’s Project

T he Indian Railways project for an overhead suburban rail system was announced by former railway minister Lalu Prasad. It came soon after the state government’s plan for a Metro in the city took shape. The plan consisted of elevated tracks on the Western and Central lines. The Western line project was taken up first and apre-feasibility study ordered. Adetailed project report has still to be done. State officials said that despite requests, the railways had not bothered to expand the suburban system and announced its project only when the state went ahead with its Metro project. The Metro’s third line will be underground from Colaba to Bandra. The elevated project will need changes in the height of many railway bridges. TNN

Bombay2Calcutta

August 26th, 2011, 03:34 AM

12% work done in 14 yrs for Belapur-Uran tracks

Manthan K Mehta TNN

Mumbai: After 14 long years, the Central Railway has, till now, managed to complete only 12% work on the Belapur-Seawoods-Uran Double Line Project that was started in 1997, stated the report recently submitted by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India for 2010-2011. The initial deadline was 2002.
The report also stated that the project started at an estimated cost of Rs 450 crore, which has been revised to Rs 1,300 crore. The main objective was to ensure that people of the Uran-Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) area could easily travel to Mumbai and Thane on train. When the plan was launched, the railways, the state government and Cidco had agreed that the principle cost would be shared by the state through Cidco with railways in the ratio of 2:1 and land cost was to be borne by Cidco alone. But, the CAG observed, that even though more than 12 years have passed, the objective of the project was yet to be achieved.
According to the CAG, the scrutiny of records in February 2009 showed that the work started in 1997-98 and it was slated for completion by 2002. Despite spending Rs 133.39 cror, the physical progress of the work was only 12% till the end of March 2010.
The slow progress of the work can be attributed to the financial constraints of Cidco, which in August 2001, requested the railways to go slow; it also reportedly failed to acquire and hand over land for 2.71 km section to the railways. Constructions were also suspended from October 2005 to July 2008 after the Bombay high court reportedly ordered the railways not to proceed with work within 50 metres of mangrove stretches. The report states, “Going by Section 11 of the Railway Act, 1989, it did not require any clearance from the environmental or forest agencies for any railway projects. The case was not pursued properly and ultimately there was a delay of more than two years.” It also blamed the railways for not signing the Project Specific Agreement with Cidco, incorporating investment schedule linked with work progress and safeguard provisions in case of failure to perform. “This not only led to the blockage of a huge fund of Rs 56.92 crore spent by the railways but also put at risk the completion of the project for an unspecified period,” stated the CAG.

TRACKING RECORD

NAME: Belapur-Seawoods-Uran Double Line Project STARTED: 1997 PROPOSED DEADLINE: 2002 Original estimated cost: Rs 495.44 crore* Revised estimated cost (Aug 2011): Rs 1,412 crore
*Amounts provided by the railways

HURDLES CLEARED?

Cidco had asked the railways to stop work in August 2008 after the Belapur-Seawoods-Uran Double Line Project came to a standstill. Following a three-year deadlock, finally on July 29, 2011, the railways, the government and Cidco signed a tripartite agreement for a faster implenetation of the plan.

gentem

August 26th, 2011, 04:57 AM

devendra1

August 26th, 2011, 01:53 PM

Sense prevails.. But changing from elevated railway to metro in the terminating stations needs to be made smooth :cheers:
I think Charkop- Colaba we should have 2 lines per direction considering the density. SO elevated A/C train and Metro would have served the purpose. Not sure if sufficient people travel beyond Mahalaxmi to have 2 lines per direction.

buddy_rohan

August 26th, 2011, 06:12 PM

Finally :banana: Dadar, kalyan, thane, andheri, borivili will have escalators. Any other big station? What about CST, churchgate, wadala road and bandra - aren't these crowded? God finally saves knees of mumbaikars :lol: And this will save people crossing railway tracks and dying :cheers:

Welcome mumbai local railway to 21st century :applause:

CST and Churchgate have bay platforms, and majority of the people use the main southern entry/exit points, so ecalators may not be priority at these stations, as you dont need to change levels to reach platforms. The FoB at CST does not crowded as compared to Dadar, etc.

Bandra does require escalators, hope they include it along with these 5 main stations.

But why have they forgotten my favourite KURLA???

FrankPanaMan

August 27th, 2011, 05:19 AM

bhargavsura

August 27th, 2011, 05:20 AM

They will never do that. You don't know this but they are going to take all their money with them after their death.

FrankPanaMan

August 27th, 2011, 05:34 AM

^^
O i c.. so in that case they wud need 2 do a Wire transfer 2 Hell mayb!
State Bank of Nark!! haha

gentem

August 27th, 2011, 07:48 AM

bhargavsura

August 27th, 2011, 02:41 PM

^^
O i c.. so in that case they wud need 2 do a Wire transfer 2 Hell mayb!
State Bank of Nark!! haha

Yes. That's why Sharab Gawar has been quiet these days. Sumdi main se paise nikaalega aur wire transfer karega.

khargharboi

August 29th, 2011, 12:45 PM

Coolguyz

August 29th, 2011, 02:02 PM

Yea...It happens on Harbour line between Mahim and CST. Police presence is less and mostly people travelling are of lower class basically the uneducated class

kingfisher09

August 29th, 2011, 02:51 PM

Vicky007

August 29th, 2011, 03:56 PM

Just a thought!
Richest Indians live in Mumbai and with most World Billionaires donating their fortunes, wish that some of the Mumbai Billionaires could make a joint fund for solving Mumbai Rail and transport, drinking water and slum problems.
Mumbai suburban rail is among the world's busiest urban MRT system and needs a lot of money to modernize and serve the public efficiently..

Yes only if the world was so altruistic.

Seriously if Mumbaiites(through thier resident billionaires) were to finance their own infrastructure projects, then what the heck are they paying the taxes to the Centre for? They are not paying their hard earned money to Delhi based babus for indulging in corruption and depositing money in overseas tax havens.
They might as well stop paying taxes to these elite good for nothings.
As it is, the Centre is not doing any favor by giving money for any Mumbai infrastructure projects.On the contrary it is the city of Mumbai which is time and again asked to pay (upto 50% of the capital Cost) for these projects.So in a way mumbai is paying a lot of money itself for its infra.
If i were to list the conditionalities (many of them impractical and quite ridiculous) that are often attached to finiancing a part of these projects it would take a whole new thread to list that.
Let me add its is not just the Centre which is to be blamed for Mumbai's woes.The State govt itself behaves like an eunuch groveling before Delhi for some hand-outs instead of demanding its "overdue" fair share.

bhargavsura

August 30th, 2011, 02:00 AM

have you guys seen this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTnEt5qex3s

And the point of doing such stunts is? These people need to be caught and get prosecuted. Ridiculous this is.

southernman

August 30th, 2011, 05:53 PM

:weird::crazy::crazy::crazy:The Next SUPERMAN from Mumbai.

gentem

August 30th, 2011, 06:17 PM

bhargavsura

August 30th, 2011, 06:19 PM

It would be really impressive if there's a slight error and they get hit by the poles or get dragged between the wheels, wouldn't it be?

gentem

August 30th, 2011, 06:22 PM

^^ i guess they have nothing much to lose in life... no gf, no asset, no income

sgups

August 30th, 2011, 06:52 PM

i thought they wanted to be stuntmen for James Bond's IR stunt (assuming it gets permitted)

bharatiya

August 30th, 2011, 08:58 PM

bloody jokers.

adam_india

August 30th, 2011, 10:19 PM

They were showing this video in bangalore local news channel tv9. They said boys do this to impress gals by showing it them in youtube :lol:

No words to describe the incompetence and stupidity of these news channels. They very well bloody know that putting this on TV is going to lead to copycat incidents. :bash: . Do they care about putting someone's life in danger?... all they care is in raking in the money.

raghussc

August 30th, 2011, 10:26 PM

Coolguyz

August 31st, 2011, 04:36 AM

Shame on IR for not providing enough security. At least the doors should be closed ! If a person dies, then his/her kith/kin are going to get compensation from Railways, so no need of LIC policy per se :D

Nothing to blame railways for, there are announcements made at platforms,in trains...the effects of dangerous travelling. Inspite of it, people wanna do stunts then its their responsibilty.I have seen when police try to catch such people they just run away sometime abusin or even hittin policemen while running, the crowd just looks on.

gentem

August 31st, 2011, 05:36 AM

Nothing to blame railways for, there are announcements made at platforms,in trains...the effects of dangerous travelling. Inspite of it, people wanna do stunts then its their responsibilty.I have seen when police try to catch such people they just run away sometime abusin or even hittin policemen while running, the crowd just looks on.

Same was the case with bangalore buses. I used to travel on footboard. But later they installed hydraulic doors and everything safe. When they can do in buses why not trains? Railways mistake its not hiking fares leaving out safety.

And showing it in tv is perfectly fine. Or even good. But their comment was laughable.

adam_india

August 31st, 2011, 05:39 AM

^^ You know the conditions on the Mumbai locals, the extreme rush, the super crush dense load...unless the number of trains is increased and so the number of people per coach comes down to a reasonable figure, your solution is useless. I don't live in Mumbai, but have travelled by the locals during peak time. If the doors were closed, the people wouldnt be able to get in and out easily and some people could even lose consciousness because of lack of air circulation.

koresh

August 31st, 2011, 08:26 AM

have you guys seen this,

[youtube]Video/youtube]

I marked this one as inappropriate on youtube.

If these guys die, then there would a rail roko cze railway didnt do anything, demand for compensation which they don't deserve.

The guys should be identified and made an example of .

Looking at their antics, circus would be right place.:cheers:

Vicky007

August 31st, 2011, 05:28 PM

^^ i guess they have nothing much to lose in life... no gf, no asset, no income

Dont assume that. While travelling on CR between Kalyan and CST i have seen normal middle class youths (with steady jobs) from Kalva and Mumbra doing stunts (climbing up and coming down the roof in a moving train).

phaedrus

August 31st, 2011, 07:39 PM

^^ i guess they have nothing much to lose in life... no gf, no asset, no income

no brains

KuwarOnline

September 3rd, 2011, 03:00 PM

Borivili Station

cc self

http://i52.tinypic.com/auv242.jpg

bhargavsura

September 4th, 2011, 02:56 PM

Is that on the eastern or western side? Seems like eastern side to me.

dunefreezer

September 4th, 2011, 10:38 PM

It would be really impressive if there's a slight error and they get hit by the poles or get dragged between the wheels, wouldn't it be?

Well said....:applause:

These idiots deserve sarcasm like this.

gentem

September 5th, 2011, 08:35 AM

have you guys seen this,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTnEt5qex3s

<object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PTnEt5qex3s"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/PMJmqxl_eqM" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>

PTnEt5qex3s

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOIBG/2011/09/05/13/Img/Pc0131200.jpg

Days after a video of two youths performing death-defying stunts on a Mumbai local train went viral on the internet, a 13-yearold boy paid the price for trying to copy them. Zahid Ansari was leaning out of a suburban train when he was struck by a pole. Zahid fell unconscious on the side of the tracks. Though he miraculously survived, he’s suffering from severe concussions and may be in need of prolonged medical attention. Times Group photo journalist Sebastian D'Souza, was on his way to work when he saw the amateur stuntman crossing the line between childish bluster and sheer foolhardiness. As Zahid and two others were dangling out of the train, a man standing next to D’Souza said, “Yeh ladke marenge.” Within a few seconds, his words almost turned out to be prophetic as Zahid hit the pole cheek first, took a tumble and fell agonisingly close to tracks, his legs within a foot of the train. The son of a construction worker from Mumbra, Zahid was rushed to St George's Hospital, where doctors said things could’ve been much worse. “His face had turned blue. There was severe swelling. There is no skull fracture, but he will be sent for a CT scan.”

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIBG/2011/09/05&PageLabel=13&EntityId=Pc01312&ViewMode=HTML

:ohno:

bhargavsura

September 5th, 2011, 04:09 PM

First of all, the video must be taken down from YouTube, catch the two guys who are involved in such stunts. Heck they didn't even mention the catch-phrase, "Do not try this at home. The stunts have been performed by professionals whose lack of brains and hard working abilities have led them to such stunts. If you are hard working and are full of brains, have common sense, Do Not try this at home".

Ridiculous.

World8115

September 5th, 2011, 04:40 PM

have common sense, Do Not try this at home".
You mean Do Not try this in local trains

rathibent

September 5th, 2011, 05:49 PM

Is that on the eastern or western side? Seems like eastern side to me.

ya its borivali east...

Bombay2Calcutta

September 6th, 2011, 05:29 AM

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Central-Railway-asked-to-speed-up-2nd-corridor-from-CST-to-Panvel/articleshow/9879406.cms)
Central Railway asked to speed up 2nd corridor from CST to Panvel

MUMBAI: During the hours Harbour line services were disrupted on Monday, the Central Railway (CR) allowed commuters to travel on its Main line. But this, commuters argue, is a temporary solution. They demand that railway authorities build an alternative corridor between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Panvel to lessen the hardships that follow every accident.

Sujoy Mukherjee, a commuter from Vashi, said, "Unlike Harbour line, CR's Main line and the Western Railway have two corridors-fast and slow. If there is a problem on any one of these corridors, authorities tackle it by diverting the trains onto the unaffected corridor."

Harbour line has just one corridor for slow trains. This, many commuters say, is symptomatic of the step-motherly treatment given to the service. They cite the poor condition of rakes and stations as further proof that Harbour line has become a blind spot for the authorities.

Subash Gupta, a member of the National Rail Users Consultative Committee , said, "The chief minister is keen on building a Panvel-CST high-speed corridor . The railway authorities should now ensure that the project is planned and executed quickly. An additional corridor will help alleviate the hardships faced by a large number of commuters."

Whenever there is a disruption on Harbour line, the CR allows commuters with valid ticket to travel by Main line or Western Railway. Commuters say this alone is not enough.

Smitha Venkat, another commuter from Vashi, said the CR should "deploy additional buses to ferry commuters to Kurla because trains services nearly dry up whenever a disruption occurs" . Venkat cited the example of Konkan Railway , which organizes buses every time its services are affected. "The CR should take a leaf out of their book."

A CR official said, "We are keen on introducing 12-car rakes, but for this, the length of the platforms has to be increased . Work on extending platforms is in progress in Navi Mumbai but engineering problems exist at stations that are elevated."

The official added, "The punctuality of Harbour line services has improved considerably over the years because of removal of encroachment on either side of the track. If the state government gives us support, we are more than willing to execute the high-speed corridor between Navi Mumbai and CST."

LONG LINE OF PROBLEMS

July 22 |

A rail fracture between Vikhroli and Ghatkopar hit Central Railway services

July 20 |

Services were disrupted during morning peak hours because of a rail fracture between Chembur and Tilak Nagar

June 29 |

A signal failure on the slow lines (Up and Down) at Diva caused train delays

June 28 |

A tree branch fell on an overhead wire on the Down slow track near Charni Road station, forcing Western Railway to divert trains

June 28 |

A coach derailed between Cotton Green and Reay Road, affecting services throughout the day

June 11 |

Passengers of Mumbaibound express train Darbhanga-LTT holiday special had a miraculous escape after six of its coaches derailed near Kasara

Bombay2Calcutta

September 6th, 2011, 05:31 AM

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Harbour-line-to-reach-Goregaon/Article1-741702.aspx)
Harbour line to reach Goregaon

Commuters using the harbour line can finally expect an extension of the line from Andheri till Goregaon.
Under this project, two lines will be extended till Goregaon from platform six and seven of Andheri station. These are expected to be ready within the next three years as part of the Rs5,300 crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project phase–II (MUTP-II).

The two lines will cost Rs103 crore and the work will be carried out by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC). It will benefit around two lakh commuters who travel daily on the Harbour line. It will also ease overcrowding on the Western line, as commuters who want to alight at Goregaon will be able to board a train at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) instead of Churchgate.

If the demand for services on the two lines is found to be high, the number of CST-Goregaon trains will be augmented in the future.

In order to extend the lines till Goregaon, platforms six and seven at Andheri station will be extended after demolishing part of platform one, the ticket booking counter near the two platforms, the staircase of the foot overbridge (FOB) and railway offices.

A wall would be constructed, as the track would otherwise pass too close to a mosque near Andheri station. Platform one at Jogeshwari station, which falls on the west side, will then be demolished. “We will shift the tracks to the slow corridor on the east end to create more room for the Harbour line,” said a Western Railway official on condition of anonymity.

Once all the tracks are shifted, they will construct new platforms for the Harbour line on the north end of the Jogeshwari station.

"All the offices, ticket counters and other structures obstructing the two new lines at Andheri, Jogeshwari and Goregaon stations will be shifted and raised to an elevated level," said PK Sharma, managing director, MRVC.

Meanwhile, MRVC has already cleared land on the Jogeshwari-Goregaon stretch, where the Rs20 crore Oshiwara station will be built. They are also building pillars over a creek running between the two stations to accommodate the new tracks. The MRVC will also construct a new platform on the west side of Goregaon station to accommodate the Harbour line.

Bombay2Calcutta

September 6th, 2011, 05:33 AM

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Hazare-protest-puts-rly-proposal-on-hold/Article1-741003.aspx)
Hazare protest puts rly proposal on hold

Social activist Anna Hazare's Jan Lokpal bill seems to have inadvertently caused Mumbai's suburban railway commuters some inconvenience. The Parliament postponed taking action on a proposal to run 12-coach trains on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)-Panvel stretch due to Hazare's anti-graft campaign, which captured their attention.

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, which is implementing the project on behalf of the Indian Railways, had sent the Rs725-crore proposal to the railway ministry to get it approved and its budget sanctioned under the supplementary budget of the Parliament in its monsoon session. The proposal was not cleared in the railway budget announced in February.

However, the Lokpal issue hijacked all issues that were to be presented in the Parliament's two houses. By the end of the monsoon session, all political parties were involved in discussing the Lokpal Bill as Hazare went on an indefinite hunger strike in Delhi and his campaign gathered steam in the subsequent days.

"We have been informed that the project would be tabled in the railway budget next year," said a senior railway official, requesting anonymity.

The clearance of this proposal would considerably ease commuting for railway commuters.

The proposal includes procuring more coaches to convert 9-coach trains into 12-coach trains, acquiring spares and loose parts for the manufacturing of trains, extension of platforms and improving power supply and allied equipment to convert the power supply to trains from the present 1,500-volt Direct Current to 25,000-volt Alternating Current.

Presently, 10-lakh odd commuters travel in 9-coach trains on the Harbour line. Twelve-coach trains will be able to carry 33% more commuters than 9-coach trains can. There is also a need to augment the number of coaches as the satellite city of Navi Mumbai is seeing large number of residents and commercial units shifting base there.

Presently, the Central Railway (CR) operates 35, 9-coach trains on the CST-Panvel route with 580 services being offered daily.

On the Trans-Harbour line, six 12-coach and four 9-coach trains offer 208 services on this route daily. In October 2010, the CR extended the platforms on the Thane-Vashi-Panvel Trans Harbour route, thereby enabling them to run 12-car trains. This route sees a 7% annual rise in the number of commuters each year.

Bombay2Calcutta

September 6th, 2011, 05:36 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/09/06/Article//001/06_09_2011_001_021.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

September 6th, 2011, 05:37 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/09/06/Article//006/06_09_2011_006_004.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

September 6th, 2011, 05:44 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/09/06/Article//006/06_09_2011_006_006.jpg

KuwarOnline

September 6th, 2011, 09:20 PM

Is that on the eastern or western side? Seems like eastern side to me.

eastern side

Bombay2Calcutta

September 7th, 2011, 02:16 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/09/07/Article//007/07_09_2011_007_002.jpg

gentem

September 7th, 2011, 05:06 AM

^^ good. take loans first to improve facilities. then add surcharge so that nobody can blame u :cheers:

Coolguyz

September 9th, 2011, 10:53 AM

Cladding of churchgate station is complete.Finishing touches left
[img]http://s1.postimage.org/txn4y8njz/2011_09_09_12_50_56.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
free image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

Coolguyz

September 9th, 2011, 10:57 AM

Nice white marble tiles installed inside the station,have made the place more lively
[img]http://s1.postimage.org/mufoegmla/2011_09_09_12_54_06_1.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
upload images (http://www.postimage.org/)

Like these tiles on the sides which twinkles under light
[img]http://s1.postimage.org/txnqg8609/2011_09_09_12_55_09_1.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
hosting images (http://www.postimage.org/)

World8115

September 9th, 2011, 12:53 PM

Wow, its looks cool :cheers:

azzi282

September 9th, 2011, 04:06 PM

Indeed looks very nice :cheers:

KuwarOnline

September 9th, 2011, 05:42 PM

wow looks cool....

Indtrans

September 10th, 2011, 09:19 PM

buddy_rohan

September 14th, 2011, 01:34 PM

There were lot of discussions regarding to 'Nerul Uran' line. This stretch to be served by Metro or railway(i.e.EMU) this was the topic of discussion for last many years. But now CIDCO has cleared that this section will be served by railways. It is expected to start construction activity of this section soon. Let us see how much time will it take to complete the work. As usual CIDCO has funded two third of the total cost.

isn't that line already built? I mean the civil and strucural works (even pway i think). I have surely seen the rail bridge on Panvel creek between seawoods and bamandongri. pelase correct me if wrong. It only stopped further construction because of the dilemma whether it will be a metro or an extension of Harbour line.

Indtrans

September 14th, 2011, 07:30 PM

What is the status of Andheri to Gorgaon Harbour line extension work. Can anybody please update on this.

MT84

September 15th, 2011, 09:44 PM

Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20110915201109150331454564a696766/DahanuChurchgate-local-trains-to-run-from-april.html

Local trains from Churchgate to Dahanu may ply from April 2012, say Western Railway sources. “Trials will start this December, and trains will be functional by April,” said the source.

“WR is doing a test-run of rakes on new tracks. Work of construction of the train yard, upgrading signal facilities, and improving amenities at Dahanu is on,” the source said.

WR’s Divisional Regional Manager Girish Pillai, said, “We can start trains in the new financial year, subject to availability of rakes from Chennai.”

devendra1

September 16th, 2011, 12:12 PM

CST-Kurla tracks to have steel fences
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/CST-Kurla-tracks-to-have-steel-fences/articleshow/10000089.cms

Bombay2Calcutta

September 20th, 2011, 07:47 PM

Source (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_mrvc-seeks-public-tips-to-decongest-mumbai-railway-stations_1587617)
MRVC seeks public tips to decongest Mumbai railway stations

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) wants to know if commuters have benefited from the new rail facilities from the World Band-funded projects.

The MRVC is the implementing agency for Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) and also the think tank for the city’s railway projects.

Under the phase one of MUTP, the agency has implemented many facilities to improve suburban railway travel — most crucial is the introduction of 130 better quality AC-DC Siemens rakes. And now MRVC wants to know how these facilities have benefited commuters.

It recently started a study to find the number of passengers travelling at some of the highly patronised railway stations, how adequate are the foot overbridges and the crucial entry and exit points at the stations.

A senior railway official said that about eight to 10 stations each on the Western, Central and Harbour lines have been selected for the study.

“All stations have been carefully chosen so as to provide us with a representative sample of the number of passengers and their movements in a particular area. For example, under the big stations, Dadar will give us an idea about the approximate number of commuters during rush hours for other stations nearby such as Elphinstone Road, Parel and others,” the official said.

The official said MRVC wanted a feedback considering the increasing number of passengers in recent years and the congestion during rush hours on platforms.

With an aim to decongest platforms, the agency wants to know the requirement of passenger utilities or the improvement of the present ones.

“We have taken care of the design issue in new trains. A lot of thinking had gone into deciding various elements inside the trains before the new Siemens rakes were purchased. Now, we want to know the adequacy of amenities such as foot overbridge, entry and exit points and circulating areas at stations,” said the official.

Prakash Vazalwar Rao, chief operations manager of the MRVC, confirmed the details of the study and stressed the idea behind the study is to address the problem of overcrowding. “We have done a preliminary study. The main study will begin by early October and conclude after four months,” Rao said.

Coolguyz

September 22nd, 2011, 10:56 AM

New Kurla terminus. Some finishing touches left to be done

http://s3.postimage.org/3citn82n9/2011_09_22_12_47_15.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)

KuwarOnline

September 22nd, 2011, 07:24 PM

wow something new..great

MeMumbaikar

September 22nd, 2011, 07:39 PM

looks fcuk ugly to me

jinka sreekanth

September 23rd, 2011, 03:57 AM

looks nice.Awesome updates CG!

p2p4

September 23rd, 2011, 05:09 AM

My cousin sent me pix of CST passenger 'lobby' area a few days back and I was very, very very very disappointed to see that people still lay out their "Bistar Chaddar Lungi Langoti" to sleep right bang middle of the area !

(Would have posted these pix but dont want to, cos it just shows how bad things have gone into planning)... and we thought they refurbished CST !!!

Afterthought - CST = Chaadar Sarkaye, Tek Lo (lay out the blanket, park your ass)

sidney_jec

September 23rd, 2011, 05:13 AM

Post them in the international section. Your cousin just might make it to pulitzer :lol:

p2p4

September 23rd, 2011, 05:31 AM

Post them in the international section. Your cousin just might make it to pulitzer :lol:

I sent it to Euro instead .. too lazy to do the many steps of posting on SSC

(copy pic from email to computer
(from computer file post it to photo-baalti)
(from photobaalti to upload (wastes 4 minutes)
(from uploaded image you have to spend time finding the IMG link - 3 minutes gone)
(pasting on SSCI.. 2 minutes gone)

So much work na?

sidney_jec

September 23rd, 2011, 05:35 AM

So much work na?

:shifty:

Coolguyz

September 23rd, 2011, 06:24 AM

The CST makeover plan only included restoring the heritage struture which was done very well but yea there is a huge difference between WR and CR. While locals on WR are washed everyday CR ones are dirty everytime i have seen (IFB does the washin part) . Same for the platforms. Its like the difference between BEST buses from MAgathane depot and Santacruz depot.

rathibent

September 23rd, 2011, 06:51 AM

looks fcuk ugly to me

its ok..atleast something new...dont expect much from indian railways...

hshah

September 23rd, 2011, 12:59 PM

My cousin sent me pix of CST passenger 'lobby' area a few days back and I was very, very very very disappointed to see that people still lay out their "Bistar Chaddar Lungi Langoti" to sleep right bang middle of the area !

I pass CST station every day. Sometimes there are too many people and sometimes there are even more. However, I have also seen the waiting rooms at Dadar CR, and they look pretty neat (from outside atleast).

adam_india

September 23rd, 2011, 02:12 PM

I was at CST (long distance, NOT suburban) a few weeks ago...visited the waiting room...it was really bad and smelly...rickety plastic tables, chairs with torn seats. the smell and the whole atmosphere wasn't good....I think some people were using it for the showers...there should at least be a place for them to change. It has a typical 'municipal' feel to it. that whole area was really bad....it is designed so that people won't or can't wait there for a long time. It has a typical sarkari "neglected" 'couldnt care less' feel to it. I have always felt that for IR, the smaller stations are better than the bigger ones.

Bombay2Calcutta

October 2nd, 2011, 10:01 PM

More services on WR likely soon

Manthan K Mehta TNN

Mumbai: With work to connect the fifth corridor between Santa Cruz and Mahim underway, Western Railway (WR) commuters can expect more suburban servicessoon.
The fifth line runs parallel to existing four tracks on slow and fast corridors between Borivli and Santa Cruz. Between Santa Cruz and Mahim, there is a missing link of around 3 km. Sharat Chandrayan, chief public relations officer, WR, said, “This will allow us to segregate mail/express traffic from the slow and fast corridors, which can then be used for suburban traffic.”
“As of now, long-distance trains headed for Bandra terminususetheexisting fifthcorridor. Those headed for Dadar and Mumbai Central use the fast up and down tracks. Once the work is over, the fast track will not cater to long distance trains,” Chandrayan said.
“The work is expected to be over in six to eight months. There is a track from Bandra station to Bandra terminus. But it has zig-zag design, making itdifficultto ply trains at80-100 kmph. The design will be improved,” he added. Engineerswill nothavetodemolish the Harbour line bridge between Mahim andBandra.
Meanwhile, work on the sixth line between Bandra terminus and Borivli has also begun with tenders being invited for constructing bridges over theculverts.

World8115

October 3rd, 2011, 04:12 PM

:cheers:

Coolguyz

October 3rd, 2011, 04:27 PM

For Top gear fans. Richard hammond in red beetle shooting for their Christmas special episode in front our very own churchgate station.
http://img3.imageshack.us/img3/1745/20111003121545.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/3/20111003121545.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

metrofreak

October 3rd, 2011, 04:55 PM

^^I think it's a Mini Rover buddy! Thanks for the pic... the station looks grrrreat.... I never bothered much about this thread, but my perception of Mumbai local stations being old school boring has just been broken!

Thanks!:cheers:

Coolguyz

October 3rd, 2011, 05:08 PM

Oops...yea its a rover.I also have pics of Jeremy with a jag. James wasnt there.
Stations have undergone a major change atleast the major stations with regard to appearance.

metrofreak

October 3rd, 2011, 05:18 PM

^^ truw yaar... I hope similar makeover happens for trains too... Mumbai locals are such an amazing lifeline, but the spate of accidents makes it all too bad.

I hope they are taking green measures too while renovating the stations :)

Bombay2Calcutta

October 5th, 2011, 05:28 AM

Elevated rail to start from Oval Maidan

State Govt Gives ‘In Principle’ Nod

Manthan K Mehta | TNN

Mumbai: The state government has given an ‘in principle’ approval for the elevated rail corridor from Oval Maidan.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) had insisted it start from Mahalaxmi instead of Oval Maidan but the railways felt it would make the project unfeasible. The approval came at a meeting of senior railway and Planning Commission (PC) officials with chief minister Prithivraj Chavan and state government bureaucrats on Tuesday.
A senior Western Railway (WR) official said, “A coordination committee, which will comprise officials from the railways and state government, will clear hurdles to ensure smooth implementation of the project within the stipulated deadline.”
He said the government had assured “complete cooperation” for land acquisition for the project, which will cost more than Rs 15,000 crore. The PC representative requested the government to hike the floor space index (FSI) limit to 4 so that commercial exploitation of land can fund the project.
The official said, “The government is not averse to the suggestion as the project will ensure additional north-south connectivity.”
According to the initial plan, the corridor was to be underground between Churchgate and Charni Road and elevated up to Santa Cruz. Between Vile Parle and Andheri, the tracks will be at the ground level, alongside existing tracks, as the area falls in the funnel of aircraft. The tracks will be elevated beyond Andheri and Dahisar and at ground level from Mira Road to Virar.
WR plans to build an underground station near Oval Maidan, which is close to Churchgate, and where the route cannot be terminated as the station has narrow dispersal points.
MMRDA officials had opposed the line up to Oval Maidan. It said the underground portion would mean disturbing prime land holdings around existing stations between Mahalaxmi and Churchgate.
The railways had opposed the suggestion as they felt curtailing the corridor, as suggested by MMRDA, may impact ridership. Around one lakh people alight at Churchgate every hour during the morning and evening peak period. The elevated rail line is expected to take nearly 30% load off existing lines.
Since having an underground station at Churchgate is unfeasible due to narrow dispersal points on roads on either side, the elevated corridor terminus was planned underground at Oval Maidan.
Having an elevated rail till Mahalaxmi will also serve no purpose.
The government had asked the railway ministry to examine its proposal. The railway board sought the opinion of Western Railway, which made it clear that the project will not be feasible if not taken up to Churchgate.
A WR official said, “Nobody who boards a train at Churchgate and nearby stations would like to break journey to board the elevated corridor, even though it may have AC coaches. It will be a waste of money. We are glad the government has understood our point.”

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOIM/2011/10/05/6/Img/Pc0061200.jpg

bharatiya

October 6th, 2011, 07:10 PM

So it will be UG from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi then go elevated?

p2p4

October 7th, 2011, 02:17 AM

^^^^

One of the green measures would be to dismantle all ASBESTOS roofings on all the railway stations. All over the world, asbestos roofings are banned due to harmful effects but in India, they rule

^^ truw yaar... I hope similar makeover happens for trains too... Mumbai locals are such an amazing lifeline, but the spate of accidents makes it all too bad.

I hope they are taking green measures too while renovating the stations :)

niknak

October 7th, 2011, 06:43 AM

I honestly do not think that this elevated Mumbai Western Railways will happen in our lifetime.

Indian Railways is essentially trying to create their own metro, but they fail to realize how incompetent they are.

Vicky007

October 10th, 2011, 04:54 PM

New LTT by March 2012.

http://www.afternoondc.in/city-news/new-ltt-by-march-2012/article_36866

While the approach to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) is a lot of commotion and confusion for railway passengers as of now, by July next year, at least, travelling via one of the busiest stations in Mumbai will be a lot convenient, with the construction of the new station building nearing its completion.

It is learnt from sources in the railway administration that by November this year, the construction work of the new terminal building will be over, following which it will be handed over to the Mumbai division for shifting of staff and equipment.

Being constructed for a total cost of Rs.27.3crores, which constitutes Rs.16.5crores for the station building and Rs.10.8crores for a vast circulating area for vehicles, the project has been under construction for the last one and a half years, however, by March 2012, the station building comprising of basic passenger facilities is likely to be ready.

Requesting anonymity, a railway officer said, “Less than half of the amount for the station building was received due to paucity of funds(Ofcourse for any Mumbai project, its always Paucity of Funds :mad2:). However, the construction work is going to be completed by November, after which the division will shift its utilities to the new building before commencing the operations from the new building. Depending on the funds available next year, the remaining work, like asphalting of the circulating area, will be completed with the financial year.”

A six-metre-wide Foot over Bridge (FOB) which will provide connectivity to all five platforms at LTT also needs to be constructed for which tenders will be opened this month.

While the administration is hopeful about timely receipt of funds to complete basic work, including the FOB, passengers can hope to easily avail of the facility by July 2012.

Immediate relief for passengers
A huge station building with 11 ticket booking and 11 reservation counters

Restrooms

Pay and park area near the building

Pre-paid taxi service

Airport style customised road dividers with troughs in between to allow passengers to drag luggage or trolleys.

hshah

October 13th, 2011, 09:27 AM

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/201110132011101302231848550b6bff/German-firm-Bombardier-to-supply-city%E2%80%99s-local-trains.html

The next set of local trains to arrive in Mumbai will most probably be made by Germany-based transportation major Bombardier Transportation.

Sources say that Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi has signed the files pertaining to the tender floated by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) in December for 72 twelve-coach local trains.

On Wednesday, the file pertaining to the new trains was forwarded to the World Bank authorities whose approval will finally seal the deal.

The new Bombardier rakes will have modernised features including an all-stainless steel body making the coaches corrosion-free. They will also be able to withstand high speeds from 110 to 130 kilometres per hour among other features.

The new coaches will also have GPS systems which will allow the passenger to gauge the distance between stations. “The panel that provides information at stations in the current rakes will also give the distance,” said a top railway official.

The Integral Coach Factory (ICF) Chennai where the coaches will be built, and the Ahmedabad-based National Institute of Design are already in the process of discussing design changes like better seats and colourful interiors for the locals.

The acceptance of bids for the tender was made amidst much drama on December 7 last year when Siemens Ltd., the company which had supplied the earlier batch of 131 locals, moved High Court to stall the tender process.

Siemens Ltd had also wanted to participate in the new bidding process. However the HC had then allowed MRVC to go ahead with the tender process.

A total of 10 international transportation consortiums including CSR China, BHEL, Alstom, Mitsubishi and Bombardier gave in their bids.

williemore

October 13th, 2011, 02:52 PM

Bombardier is the same company that built trains for Delhi metro, right?

sammyk

October 13th, 2011, 03:48 PM

Bombardier is the same company that built trains for Delhi metro, right?

Yes, I believe some of them are.

I guess these new ones are just going to be Bombardier on the inside and the same old stuff on the outside...hopefully not and a new design is in the works.

hshah

October 13th, 2011, 03:54 PM

Bombardier is the same company that built trains for Delhi metro, right?

Thats right. Delhi metro also gets trains from Hyundai, and the airport express gets it from yet another manufacturer if m not mistaken.

Coolguyz

October 14th, 2011, 03:50 PM

Screens giving Information about Long distance trains in CST

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/7922/20111014122630.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/5/20111014122630.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

vehicle for disabled/handicapped

http://s4.postimage.org/5spig9jg6/2011_10_14_12_28_35.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/) image hosting (http://www.postimage.org/)

Coolguyz

October 14th, 2011, 03:52 PM

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/921/20111014124111.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/23/20111014124111.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://s4.postimage.org/cvye9pbtc/2011_10_14_12_43_59.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/) adult image host (http://www.postimage.org/)

Vicky007

October 14th, 2011, 06:37 PM

Ahhhh lots of memories getting refreshed. The haste to catch the baara dabba 5:47 from VT. :)

KuwarOnline

October 16th, 2011, 11:13 AM

India's impressive railway stations
Last updated on: October 13, 2011 11:03 IST

India has over 7,000 railway stations. These stations facilitate the smooth operations of trains that travel across the country carrying 30 million passengers and 2.8 million tonnes of freight everyday.
While many stations in India need to be upgraded to offer modern amenities, some stations in India are quite impressive.

Here's a list of the best and busiest stations in India...

1) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (Maharashtra)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn1.jpg
Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai is the busiest railway station in India.

Headquarters of the Central Railway, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. It serves as a terminal for long distance trains and suburban railway services.

2)New Delhi Railway Station (Delhi)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn4.jpg
The New Delhi Railway Station is the second busiest station in India.

It handles over 300 trains each day and over 360,000 passengers everyday. Before the new station was established after 1911, the Old Delhi Railway Station served the entire city.

3)Chennai Central station (Tamil Nadu)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn2.jpg
Hailed as the Gateway to the South, Chennai Central station is most important rail hub in South India.

Designed by the architect Henry Irwin, it is also the main hub for the Chennai Suburban Railway system as well.

4)Howrah Station (West Bengal)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn3.jpg
Howrah Station has the largest railway complex in India. It is one of the four inter-city train stations serving Howrah and Kolkata.

5)Lucknow station (Uttar Pradesh)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn6.jpg
The station is renowned for its architectural excellence, influenced by both Rajasthani and Mughal architecture. The station looks impressive with domes, arches and pillars.

6)Vashi railway station (Maharashtra)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn8.jpg
The swanky Vashi railway station is a landmark in Navi Mumbai.

Besides being one of the biggest stations in Navi Mumbai, the building is a commercial complex with many offices and business establishments.

7)Kharagpur Railway station (West Bengal)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn9.jpg
Kharagpur also has one of the biggest railway workshops in India with the longest railway platform in the world.

8)Secundarabad railway station
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn12.jpg
Secunderabad railway Station is a major intercity rail station and a commuter rail hub in the Hyderabad urban area.

It was built in 1874 by the Nizam of the Hyderabad state.

9)Trivandrum Central (Kerala)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn7.jpg
It is the largest and busiest railway station in Kerala in terms of passenger movement and an important rail hub in South India.

It is also the most profitable station under Southern Railway division.

10)Coimbatore Junction (Tamil Nadu)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn11.jpg
It is a major railway junction in South India and the second busiest railway station in Tamil Nadu in terms of passenger movement.

11) Bengaluru city station (Karnataka)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2011/oct/11stn10.jpg
Bengaluru City railway station is an important hub of the South Western Railway.

Source
http://www.rediff.com/business/slide-show/slide-show-1-indias-impressive-railway-stations/20111013.htm?print=true

Bombay2Calcutta

October 16th, 2011, 06:22 PM

^^ Please move the above post to IR thread

Bombay2Calcutta

October 16th, 2011, 06:54 PM

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_soon-comfortable-seats-for-second-class-rail-passengers-in-mumbai_1598131
Soon, comfortable seats for second class rail passengers in Mumbai

Almost 40 lakh second-class train commuters on the Western and Central Railways can now look forward to a more comfortable ride.

Minister of state for railways KH Muniyappa on Wednesday assured Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan that the wooden seats will be replaced with foam cushion seats in all second-class railways compartments at the earliest.

The Union minister called on the CM, along with senior Central and Western railway officers, at Mantralaya to discuss various pending projects. When Chavan demanded cushioned seats for all railways compartments in Mumbai, Muniyappa promised the replacement with immediate effect.

Chavan told the minister that most of the 4 million commuters in Mumbai Metropolitan Region travel in second-class compartments every day and need to be given better services.

According to an officer, Chavan requested cushioned seats in the second class compartments.

The duo also discussed other projects that are ongoing in the city and suburbs. According to the release issued by the Railways, Chavan and Muniyappa discussed the status of the survey on the proposed Rotegaon-Puntamba railway route.

A survey was conducted by Central Railway in 2009 and the report had claimed that this project was financially not viable.The Union minister has offered to share the cost of the Rs107 crore project with the state on a 50:50 basis.

He said that the project would be viable only if the state government shoulders 50% cost of the project. Chavan said he would consider the request.

Bombay2Calcutta

October 19th, 2011, 02:50 AM

State keen on fast CST to airport rly corridor

Govt Seeks Out World Bank For Planned 60-Km, 1,500Cr Line

Ashley D’Mello & Manthan K Mehta | TNN

Mumbai: The state government is pushing hard for better rail connectivity via a fast corridor from south Mumbai to the new international airport planned at Navi Mumbai.
It has proposed a special purpose vehicle with the Indian Railways to execute and implement this project, which will have fully air-conditioned train services. The project cost has been estimated at Rs 1,500 crore for the 60-odd km line. Lack of a rail link between the airport site and south Mumbai prompted chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to expedite the project.
The state government on Tuesday sought World Bank aid to fund the project. T C Benjamin, principal secretary in the urban development department, made a detailed presentation of the conceptual plan before senior World Bank officials, which reportedly got a positive reception. The World Bank is already financing part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Part I and II, which involve capacity expansion on the suburban rail system. “Besides expanding the capacity on the harbour route between Panvel and CST, we also have to look at the demands created by the new airport,” Benjamin said.
The fast corridor will originate from Carnac Bunder adjacent to CST on P D’Mello Road, said a senior railway official. The line can either be elevated or go underground between Carnac Bunder and Sewri, from where it will run along the ground parallel to the existing harbour line. “A new bridge will have to be built over Vashi bridge to connect the line to Navi Mumbai,” said the railway official and added the CM has given an assurance that additional FSI will be allowed for commercial use to make the project financially viable.
The stations and other finer details are still to be finalised. Railway officials said they have been assured by the government that project-affected persons will be taken care of. Once the project is approved, a feasibility study will ascertain fare and the duration of services.

New Connection

The state has proposed an SPV with the railways for the fast corridor project

Only fully AC train services would run on the route

The estimated project cost
is 1,500 crore for the 60-odd-km line

The state has sought World Bank’s help for funding the project

Project Details
It would expand the capacity on the harbour line between Panvel and CST
The fast corridor would originate from Carnac Bunder, adjacent to CST, on P D’Mello Road It will pass through MPT land, and either be elevated or go underground between Carnac Bunder and Sewri
From Sewri, it will run parallel on ground to the existing harbour line
A new bridge will have to be built over Vashi to connect the line to Navi Mumbai

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOIM/2011/10/19/8/Img/Pc0080800.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

October 19th, 2011, 02:54 AM

Khar and Dadar stns named for pilot project

Clara Lewis | TNN

Mumbai: Khar station, whose precincts are now being improved, has been suggested for the flat roof scheme with Dadar, one of the oldest stations in the city.
Last year, the BMC scrapped the World Bank-funded station area traffic improvement scheme owing to lack of coordination with the railways. Khar was chosen owing to the initiative taken by local corporator Ashish Shelar and citizens. The BMC has appointed civic activist and architect P K Das as the architect for the project.
Outside Khar station, regulation of the movement of buses, autorickshaws, taxis and private vehicles has ensured smoother flow of vehicular and passenger traffic. The rooftop scheme will be an extension of providing easy entry and exit from the station. Railway stations are generally 200 metres long. At Khar today, there is a single entry point to the station. “The idea of a flat roof is to provide access to the station platform from various streets. So people from the neighbourhood can access the platforms from small streets rather than coming to one single point,” said Das.
The objective is also to create more public open space at the station. No railway station has any kind of public open space where people can relax or wait before boarding a train. Entering or exiting a station is also not an easy task.
Dadar, which caters to both Central and Western railways and provides interconnectivity between the two as well as services long-distance trains, has been chosen because of the great inconvenience to passengers today.
Here too the flat roof will provide direct access from various streets and roads to various platforms. For instance, the west side of the railway station would be directly accessible from the Tilak Bridge unlike today where commuters have to come down a flight of stairs walk through a maze of hawkers before entering the station. “It will expand open spaces at the railway stations and provide breathing space,” said Das.

Bombay2Calcutta

October 19th, 2011, 02:58 AM

Amenities could hit station roofs

Centre Weighs MP, City Architect’s Proposal To Do Away With Sloping Shades, Create More Access Points To Platforms

Clara Lewis | TNN

If the sloping roofs of Mumbai’s railway stations were to be replaced with flat ones, it would create as much as 155 acres of open space across 51 railway stations. The roofs would serve as entry and exit points to platforms, disburse commuters across platforms and also provide space for various amenities.
Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar, along with civic activist and architect P K Das, has proposed to the Union railway ministry that the colonial sloping roofs must give way to flat roofs to create more space for commuters at crowded railway stations. This, they argued, before Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, would also enable the railways to create more
access points from roads to railway stations and help better disbursement of commuters.
Currently, all railway stations have sloping roofs interspersed with a couple of foot over bridges that provide access to and away from the platforms. While the length of platforms has increased along with that of the trains, the number of foot over bridges has remained more or less constant owing to space constraints. Similarly, the railways have been unable to provide sufficient number of exit and entry points to handle the large swathe of humanity that uses the city’s lifeline daily.
“If the roofs are flattened, then all the platforms can be freed from encumbrances. Conveniences such as the drinking water stand, newspaper stand, toilets, shoeshine boys, tea and snack stalls can be accommodated on the roof,” said P K Das and added that it would free up space on the platforms for passengers to move more freely as well embark and disembark from trains.
Das said that staircases and lifts at various points would mean that platforms could be accessed by people at different places. This would reduce crowding on the foot over bridges and also reduce the time that people take to get on or off a platform.
“In the old days, a physical check was necessary to ensure that people without ticket did not access the railway platform. But if technology were to be used simultaneously such as swipe cards, the number of entry and exit points could be increased immensely,” he said.
Gaurang Damani from the NGO Die Hard Indian, who did a survey of the 108 railway stations in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai for the Observer Research Foundation, said the concept was good but would be impractical at stations where the platforms are quite narrow. “Putting staircases from the roof to the platforms would eat up space and cause inconvenience, for instance, at Dadar, where the platforms are narrow.”
Jagdeep Desai, architect and member of the Forum for Better Quality of Life in the Suburbs, said subways were a better option than staircases. “Commuters would have to climb less. Also, a flat roof would mean consumption of more energy. At present, skylights help provide sunlight,” he said.

FACILITIES COULD GET A FACELIFT

Rajya Sabha MP Javed Akhtar and architect P K Das have approached the Union railway ministry for doing away with the quaint, colonial sloping roofs that have always shaded railway platforms across the country. In their place, they have proposed flat roofs that could go a long way in easing commuter woes in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata, for starters. The flat roof could serve as another level. The railway ministry has, in turn, sent the proposal across for consideration to Sam Pitroda, who is charge of improvements of all railway stations in the country

Flat roofs could translate into 155 acres of open space across 51 railway stations in the city
The roofs would serve as access points to platforms and provide muchneeded breathing space for commuters
Amenities such as drinking water area, newspaper stand, toilets, shoe-shine boys, tea and snack stalls could be accommodated on the roof, freeing the lower level for commuters
Staircases and lifts at various points would mean that platforms could be accessed at different places. This would go a long way in reducing crowding on foot-over-bridges
To overcome physical checks for ticket-less travel, swipe cards could be introduced and the number of entry and exit points could be increased, it has been suggested

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=TOIM/2011/10/19/8/Img/Pc0080700.jpg

Khar station | Currently, work is on to regulate road traffic in the Khar station precincts. The main road, where traffic converges, has been converted into a one-way. Separate parking stands and routes have already been created for autorickshaws and buses to ease commuter movement to and from the station.
The station has now been suggested for the pilot of the flat-roof platform scheme

Bombay2Calcutta

October 19th, 2011, 03:13 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/10/19/Article//007/19_10_2011_007_009.jpg

sgups

October 19th, 2011, 02:37 PM

Vicky007

October 19th, 2011, 05:06 PM

Western Railway's work on cable-stayed bridge stoppped due to funds.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_western-railway-s-work-on-cable-stayed-bridge-stoppped-due-to-funds_1600583

The Western Railway’s ambitious plan to build its first cable-stayed bridge has been stopped in its tracks due to insufficient funds.

Nearly a year ago, the Western Railway (WR) and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) planned to build a cable-stayed bridge at a cost of Rs14 crore to replace Carol Bridge at Elphinstone Road, the second-oldest road over-bridge in the city. The bridge connects Tata Mills Compound on the east and Parel ST bus depot on the west.

This would have been the third cable-stayed bridge in the city, after the one at Bandra Worli Sea Link and the one over the Western Express Highway for the Mumbai Metro.

According to WR officials, the total length of the two-lane bridge was to be 100 metres, while the width was to be 70 metres.
There were plans to demolish the existing Elphinstone bridge constructed in 1913, since it does not have adequate space beneath for the new power distribution system which will convert DC power to AC power. The new bridge was to be higher. And since the construction of a regular road-over-bridge would have hampered the passage of local trains as well as vehicular traffic, the WR had decided to opt for a cable-stayed bridge along the lines of the Bandra Worli Sea Link.

A top official revealed that there was a problem of funds, but said it would not affect the new power distribution system being planned. Western Railway chief spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan said the technical solution involved lowering the base of the pantograph on top of new trains. ‘’This will provide the adequate space required,’’ he said.

Parel and Worli residents had also voiced their protest against the proposed bridge as they felt that the project would hamper movement.

KuwarOnline

October 19th, 2011, 07:09 PM

when asia's richest municipal corporation and India's most revenue generator rail corridor says that they dont have 14cr to build bridge? kind of shame and I cant stop :lol:

p2p4

October 20th, 2011, 08:07 AM

when asia's richest municipal corporation and India's most revenue generator rail corridor says that they dont have 14cr to build bridge? kind of shame and I cant stop :lol:

Lure Sharad Pawar by telling him that his name will be plastered the entire length of the rail corridor as the the sole donor for the project and he will cough up the crores :D

If that falls short, assure Mayawati that her statues will be erected instead of electric poles. Her statues will hold top contact (thank you Ghantam) cables.

Vicky007

October 20th, 2011, 04:31 PM

when asia's richest municipal corporation and India's most revenue generator rail corridor says that they dont have 14cr to build bridge? kind of shame and I cant stop :lol:

If its a project for Bombay of course there will be "Funds Shortage". As for the City making the investmenst for the project, believe me the Goons in Delhi would like nothing better then not having to pay for any Bombay Projects. The B******S.
If the city has to pay for its project, i am all for it provided the Goons in Delhi dont get to decide on the approvals/rejections.
Its time for all round autonomy.There's just too much time wasted by bureaucracy.

KuwarOnline

October 20th, 2011, 09:57 PM

^^ nicely said guys, every state needs more autonomy

shanware

October 20th, 2011, 10:21 PM

Coolguyz

October 24th, 2011, 09:48 AM

[IMG]http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/2815/201110241118061.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/84/201110241118061.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Coolguyz

October 24th, 2011, 09:57 AM

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/6812/20111024114511.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/20111024114511.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Nilotpal

October 24th, 2011, 01:03 PM

Even though work is on process for the first line of the Mumbai Metro, ambitious plans are in place to establish the system into a nine-line network by 2021. Three phases of development are expected, with the first line opening in 2011, further routes in 2016, and completion coming five years later.

amhrpi

October 24th, 2011, 02:54 PM

CR is introducing new signage for station name and platform number in blue color like below
http://s1.postimage.org/gjrpmdl3j/2011_10_24_11_45_11.jpg (http://www.postimage.org/)
bmp upload (http://www.postimage.org/)

CG this postimage.org seems to be offline. Cant see any of your pics.:ohno:

saurav_68

October 24th, 2011, 04:44 PM

http://img833.imageshack.us/img833/6812/20111024114511.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/833/20111024114511.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

CST terminus must be maintained properly.This is a marvelous piece of architecture.

KuwarOnline

October 24th, 2011, 07:39 PM

Excellent Churchgate station pic...:cheers:

WinCPP

October 25th, 2011, 08:28 AM

Wait...its cheaper to lower the pantograph on all trains... than spend 14 crores. That doesn't sound right. Actually only 14 crore for a cable stayed bridge doesn't sound right either.

Question is not of lowering the pantograph. Its got to do with the gap between 25kV A/C power supply cable lower portions of the bridge structure itself, to avoid OHE failure and arcing. There are options such as covering the lower surface using insulating material... I heard that such material has been used for few vehicular / footover bridges and in tunnels in Karjat - Pune section / Kasara - Igatpuri sections where it is impossible to increase height of the tunnels.

Nilotpal

October 25th, 2011, 01:17 PM

Hi all,

I found some update on mumbai metro here. http://www.mumbai-metro.com/projec-update

PlaneMad

October 25th, 2011, 04:40 PM

Is it not possible for an emu to run under the bridge without OHE? i assume the pantos of the motor cars can be raised independently to make sure atleast one of them has contact.

Bombay2Calcutta

October 26th, 2011, 04:43 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/10/26/Article//006/26_10_2011_006_004.jpg

WinCPP

October 26th, 2011, 09:38 AM

Is it not possible for an emu to run under the bridge without OHE? i assume the pantos of the motor cars can be raised independently to make sure atleast one of them has contact.

Imagine a fast local train hurtling at 80 kmph and the motorman doing all the panto-acrobatics of flicking the switches everytime an over head bridge approaches and that too in proper order and on time (depending on train speed). Then sprinkle in a few bridges where he is not required to raise / lower the pantos. Forget one spot and you have a crashed panto if it is an unwired section or rather dead Mumbai Suburban for entire day.

Now throw in a few long distance locomotives which run single on in banks depending on the load that is being hauled up...

I believe that will give one damned complex panto-flicker diagram to follow, and running a train in Mumbai suburban will be even more complex than navigating the Kanjur hill to land an airplane on 9-27 (or navigating the controversial ATC tower on 14-32).

Usually they put in short neutral sections in such cases where the wire is not powered in that section. The train can still run without lowering the panto. They already have such sections at places where train needs to switch between AC and DC supply. [A non-stop train leaves AC section, enters neutral and subsequently the DC section. In the neutral zone the motorman flicks the necessary switches / raises lowers the panto.] In this case it will be same supply type on either side of neutral.

Vicky007

October 30th, 2011, 06:53 PM

Nerul-Belapur-Uran rail line on track, likely to be completed in 4 years.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/nerulbelapururan-rail-line-on-track-likely-to-be-completed-in-4-years/867497/

The suburban railway line from Nerul and Belapur through Seawood to Uran in Navi Mumbai is now well underway and is expected to be completed in the next four years, said officials of the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO). Initiated in 1996-1997, the 27-km railway line will provide much-needed connectivity to the rapidly developing region around the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and Nhava-Sheva as well as the region around the proposed Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Work on constructing road over-bridges at Seawoods and Dronagiri is complete besides two other major bridges. Earthwork in some sections is complete too. Tenders have been floated for the remaining sections.

The railway line between Nerul and Belapur through Seawood to Uran is being constructed jointly by the Ministry of Railways and CIDCO on a cost-sharing basis. The total cost of the project was pegged at Rs 495.49 crore in 1996-1997. Following disagreements between the two agencies, work on the line stalled in 2010 following which the cost revisions were undertaken and the cost escalated.

“During revision, new items, improved specifications and escalations were considered and the revised cost worked out to Rs 1412.17 crore,” said a CIDCO official. CIDCO’s share of this revised cost is Rs 946 crore.

A tripartite agreement between the Railways, CIDCO and the Government of Maharashtra was executed in July this year.

The line will link Seawood station, with one arm to nearby Belapur, to Sagarsanga (Kille), Targhar, Bamandongri, Kharkopar, Gavan, Ranjanpada, Nhava-Sheva, Dronagiri and Uran. Five road overbridges and four major bridges are to be constructed along the route.

kalkibhagwan

October 30th, 2011, 07:19 PM

Why are people so pessimistic here?? hope everything gets completed on time and everything ends up in a perfect way

Bombay2Calcutta

October 31st, 2011, 04:33 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/10/31/Article//009/31_10_2011_009_001.jpg

gentem

October 31st, 2011, 07:14 AM

http://s1.postimage.org/gjrpmdl3j/2011_10_24_11_45_11.jpg

Great tribute to CST in movie ra.one :lol: Train comes out of station through this main door :ohno:

MT84

October 31st, 2011, 10:05 AM

State to bring Metro, Monorail and locals under one umbrella

Source: http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/...-umbrella.html

The state government is working towards creating a super body to oversee the work of the Metro, Monorail and suburban railways systems. The body will provide 'seamless' travel from one place to another, between different modes of transport.

The Railway Ministry, the most powerful player in public transport, supported this move in its Indian Railway Vision 2020 document. “Railways may aim at integrating the Metro rail and suburban rail systems under a single management in partnership with respective state and city authorities,” says the document.

Principal Secretary of the State Urban Development Department, TC Benjamin, confirmed that a proposal was being prepared, but refused to give more details. Other sources from the department said that a meeting to discuss the creation of the body will be held this week.

According to state government officials, with the Metro and the Monorail systems set to begin operations, the need to integrate all the different modes of public transport has become essential.

They said that the body that currently works towards uniting different modes of transport, the United Mumbai Metropolitan Transport Authority, lacks the legal framework to create partnerships between state, municipal and central government utilities.

Moreover, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, formed to segregate the suburban railways and the outstation and freight lines, has not made any progress since its inception.

Railway officials said that this kind of segregation would make commuting more comfortable, and allow large-scale development of space at railway stations. This in turn will make the suburban railways more sustainable, they said.

KuwarOnline

October 31st, 2011, 09:37 PM

Just bring Locals under local body will solve most of the problem....

sgups

October 31st, 2011, 10:27 PM

Should include buses too.. they all form the mass public transport network

Bombay2Calcutta

October 31st, 2011, 11:35 PM

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2011103120111031030748773e8967b9e
It’s raining Rly projects in Navi Mumbai

Over the next few years, Navi Mumbai will get railway tracks spanning 180 kms. In a recent meeting of the State government, World Bank and Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation officials, Navi Mumbai came up for special consideration.

The reason being, recent surveys by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) showed that passenger density in the satellite city was growing at a faster rate than both Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway’s (CR) main line.

MMRDA survey suggests that Navi Mumbai’s population of 21-lakh is likely to be more than doubled to 48-lakh by 2021. More than 80 per cent of this population travels by local trains. The State government, railway and World Bank officials estimate that railway projects in Navi Mumbai and neighbouring areas of Raigad district will cost around Rs 14,000-crore.

While Rs 10,842-crore will be spent on creating tracks and operational infrastructure, Rs 2,400-crore will go into purchasing new trains. Rupees 720-crore will be spent on electrification and maintenance.

Railway officials said projects on which the amount (Rs 14,000-crore) will be spent don’t include the Rs 4,188-crore CST-Panvel fast track corridor, the Rs 714-crore Railway Board-helmed project to get 12-coach trains on Harbour Line, the Rs 27-crore project to convert Panvel into a major rail hub, and also projects currently under way such as the Seawood-Uran rail link.

A senior railway official said, “The requirement for new tracks in Navi Mumbai is high because the growth is tremendous. The proposed airport at Panvel will become a hub for several SEZs. There are major industrial areas in Mahape and Koparkhairane. Educational centres at Vashi, Kharghar, Belapur and Panvel have made the traffic pattern bi-directional.”

Bombay2Calcutta

November 1st, 2011, 08:15 AM

Matheran toy train to get swanky coaches

Larger Windows, Transparent Rooftops
Manthan K Mehta TNN

Mumbai: Matheran’s toy train will soon have swanky coaches that offer a panoramic view of thehillstocommuters.
The old coaches, of wood and metal, were built in the 1960-70s but were refurbished periodically. Unlike the old coaches, which had benches, the new ones will have chair car-type seats that are retractable with arm rests and eyepleasing interiors made of fireretardant material.
Suneet Sharma,chief workshop manager, Parel, Central Railway, said, “These coaches have larger, wider windows, andthe roofs are madeof transparent polycarbonate sheets. They look similar to the ones plying on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railways.”
Railway technicians have built eight coaches in the first phase and five will be ready by next year, each at a cost of Rs 21 lakh. Manufactured at CR’s workshop at Kurduwadi in six months, they will sport royal blue andwhiteon theexteriors.
Sharma said, “The safety trials of the train with new coaches will take place within a month, after which they will be used to ferry passengers between Neral andMatheran.”
The new coaches will, however, be able to carry fewer passengers. Sharma said, “The old coaches could carry 30 passengersin theIIndclasssection and 24 in Ist class. The new coaches will be able to carry 24 and 20 passengers in IInd and Ist class respectively. The number of seats was sacrificed to provide moreleg space.”
The new coaches will have mobile recharge facilities and the first class coaches will have fans,seatcovers andcurtains.
Three rakes operate along the20-km narrow gaugelinebetween Neral and Matheran. On weekdays, four pairs ply, while on weekends, five pairs of trains are in service to cater to theholiday rush.
The toy train with swanky coaches will complement the trains that ply with old rakes. Each rake comprises six coaches, including one first-class compartment. There are 30 old coaches andthe railwayswillbe ableto ply atleastone rakewith the new coaches. By next year, when five coaches will be introduced, they will be able to ply two rakeswith newcoaches.
Sharma said, “The composition of coaches will remain the same. However, the new coaches will allow the railways to join additional ones to compensatefor thefewer seats.”
The railways will also consider covering the roof with a sun control film to protect commutersfrom thehotsun during the journey. It has not been decided whether to increase fares for trainswiththe newcoaches, hesaid.
The railways plan to get a heritage tag from UNESCO for the raillink and Sharma feltthe new coaches will be a boost as “commuters from across the worldwilldefinitely giveus positivefeedback”.

DESIGNER COACHES

• Panoramic view because of larger windows

• Chair car-type seating arrangements in coaches

• First class compartment will have curtains, fans

• Mobile charging points will be provided in coaches

• Coach roof will have transparent polycarbonate sheet

• Cost of each coach to be Rs 21 lakh

• 24 seats in second class and 20 seats in first class

gentem

November 1st, 2011, 08:51 AM

Just bring Locals under local body will solve most of the problem....
our railways has some constitution provision not to allow such things.. they are immune like army :bash:

http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?page=article&sectid=2&contentid=2011103120111031030748773e8967b9e
It’s raining Rly projects in Navi Mumbai

Over the next few years, Navi Mumbai will get railway tracks spanning 180 kms. In a recent meeting of the State government, World Bank and Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation officials, Navi Mumbai came up for special consideration.

The reason being, recent surveys by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) showed that passenger density in the satellite city was growing at a faster rate than both Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway’s (CR) main line.

MMRDA survey suggests that Navi Mumbai’s population of 21-lakh is likely to be more than doubled to 48-lakh by 2021. More than 80 per cent of this population travels by local trains. The State government, railway and World Bank officials estimate that railway projects in Navi Mumbai and neighbouring areas of Raigad district will cost around Rs 14,000-crore.

While Rs 10,842-crore will be spent on creating tracks and operational infrastructure, Rs 2,400-crore will go into purchasing new trains. Rupees 720-crore will be spent on electrification and maintenance.

Railway officials said projects on which the amount (Rs 14,000-crore) will be spent don’t include the Rs 4,188-crore CST-Panvel fast track corridor, the Rs 714-crore Railway Board-helmed project to get 12-coach trains on Harbour Line, the Rs 27-crore project to convert Panvel into a major rail hub, and also projects currently under way such as the Seawood-Uran rail link.

A senior railway official said, “The requirement for new tracks in Navi Mumbai is high because the growth is tremendous. The proposed airport at Panvel will become a hub for several SEZs. There are major industrial areas in Mahape and Koparkhairane. Educational centres at Vashi, Kharghar, Belapur and Panvel have made the traffic pattern bi-directional.”
This is trap.. dont let them make new tracks.. let them double or quadruple existing tracks if they want. they take your land and blackmail you for every small thing :ohno: even for just a railway overbridge or underbridge they take years.. go for mono or metro but never give land to railways which will never come back

Allow tracks at interior of the state, through villages, but no new tracks close to metros/big cities. They dont find it economical to make track between pune-nashik, but they are very interested in navi mumbai.

Bombay2Calcutta

November 1st, 2011, 08:51 AM

DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/slideshow_the-spanking-new-matheran-toy-train_1605698-1#top)
The spanking new Matheran toy train

http://static.dnaindia.com/images/cache/1605700.jpg

Pics: Railways
Text: Rajendra Aklekar

Swank rail coaches with transparent roof for 3D feel of the mountains and comfy seats with oscillating fans as used along the lush green Darjeeling railway were formally put in service on the Neral-Matheran mini railway train for tourists on Monday.

‘’The coaches, at a cost of Rs25 lakh per coach, will allow tourist to get a three-dimensional view of the green surroundings as the train climbs about 2,500 feet from Neral to Matheran. With broad windows on either sides and an open to sky roof, the train will offer a 3D view,’’ Sumeet Sharma, chief works manager of Parel workshop said.

http://static.dnaindia.com/images/cache/1605704.jpg

DNA had reported in June that the Central Railway was working on plans to build swankier coaches for the popular 104-year-old Neral-Matheran line.

The two first class, five second class and one guard coach were lined up at Neral station painted in royal blue with narrow white stripes, an upgraded colour scheme

http://static.dnaindia.com/images/cache/1605705.jpg

“The splatter of the first rains on the transparent polycarbonate roof will add to the atmosphere as the train will negotiate curves and gradients,” CR spokesperson Ashok Singh added.

‘’The old coaches had wooden seats and hand brakes etc, but the new ones have been built on superior technology and sturdy design of wheels and base. They have additional safety features for the safety of passengers,’’ Sharma added.

http://static.dnaindia.com/images/cache/1605706.jpg

‘’The coaches also have advanced facilities like mobile charging points, ivory panels, bottle and magazine holders in both the classes with the first class compartment having oscillating fans and sun-shade curtains too,’’ another spokesperson Anil Jain said.

Coolguyz

November 1st, 2011, 04:02 PM

Detailing of CST station interior

http://i43.tinypic.com/zkl5ro.jpg

http://i41.tinypic.com/2zixy5f.jpg

Well this is something new I saw at CST. An indicator showing the trains previous days efficiency at sticking to timetable .

[IMG]http://i43.tinypic.com/20shr9f.jpg

Coolguyz

November 1st, 2011, 04:16 PM

thane station (east)...not as busy as west side

http://i43.tinypic.com/4l0rus.jpg

Skywalk on east side, some work still left

http://i42.tinypic.com/nd3r6h.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

November 2nd, 2011, 03:06 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/11/02/Article//005/02_11_2011_005_003.jpg

kalkibhagwan

November 2nd, 2011, 05:31 AM

Bombay2Calcutta

November 4th, 2011, 12:41 PM

Work on taking harbour line to Goregaon begins

DNA / DNA Correspondent / Friday, November 4, 2011 8:00 IST Direct rail connectivity between CST and Goregaon got a boost this week with the state government initiating the process of land acquisition for new rail lines.

The Konkan divisional commissioner has begun the process in Mogra and Bandivli villages of Andheri to facilitate the extension of the Harbour line from CST to Goregaon.

A senior official said 18 plots in about 716.90 sqm has been earmarked in Bandivli village and 12 plots of 270.35 sqm in Mogra village to build the two rail lines. The total land that will be acquired under both these villages is about 987.25 sqm.

The Rs100-crore extension of the harbour line project is part of the Rs5,300-crore MUTP-II that is expected to be complete by 2014. Right now, Harbour line trains from CST terminate at Andheri station and there are plans to take them till Borivli. The first part of the project is to extend it till Goregaon.

The new lines will have upgraded infrastructure and new platforms with plans to construct new station buildings on the west side of both Jogeshwari and Goregaon stations.

The project is expected to take a few years because there are many structures at Jogeshwari (West) which would have to be removed to create space. This would require rehabilitation and acquisition of land, the process of which begun this week.

At Goregaon station too, the structures on the west would have to be shifted.

URL of the article: http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_work-on-taking-harbour-line-to-goregaon-begins_1607152-all

qwertyasd

November 6th, 2011, 08:52 PM

our railways has some constitution provision not to allow such things.. they are immune like army :bash:

This is trap.. dont let them make new tracks.. let them double or quadruple existing tracks if they want. they take your land and blackmail you for every small thing :ohno: even for just a railway overbridge or underbridge they take years.. go for mono or metro but never give land to railways which will never come back

Allow tracks at interior of the state, through villages, but no new tracks close to metros/big cities. They dont find it economical to make track between pune-nashik, but they are very interested in navi mumbai.

I agree - keep railways out of intra city transportation.

fuwad

November 9th, 2011, 05:15 PM

Eastern Freeway to have rail corridor

Published: Wednesday, Nov 9, 2011, 8:00 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

You could soon take a fast train from CST to Navi Mumbai. The Central Railway's proposed fast-train corridor on the harbour line will run almost parallel to the new Eastern Freeway.

While the railway line will go all the way to Panvel, the freeway will end at Ghatkopar to join the highway.

There is also a tentative plan to link the corridor with the under construction Nhava-Sheva sea link and connect it till Uran.
The freeway, being built by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), consists of an elevated road from P D'Mello Road parallel to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) right up till Anik to connect with the Eastern Express Highway.

The 60-km rail link, partially elevated, will start from Carnac Bunder and will end at Panvel.

While the Central Railway has submitted the proposal to the state government for its approval because land acquisition will be required, the state is said to have sought funding from the World Bank to get the project completed in time for the new Panvel airport.

Railway officials said chief minister Prithviraj Chavan, who holds the transport portfolio, and Central Railway's general manager Kul Bhushan, who also holds a powerful position in New Delhi, have shown a keen interest in the project and it would soon see the light of the day.

Discussions are on the practicalities of implementing the project. "There is no space along the existing corridor as it passes through dense localities. A new line towards the east side was the only practical idea. Earlier, trains used to run all the way till Ballard Pier and this is a revival of the same old corridor," said an official.

"The new corridor will have a new set of trains, either air-conditioned or like the existing ones, and a new bridge over the creek. But all this will require a separate budget and probably a separate budget head or an independent body to get it implemented," he added.

"These things could be a part of the third phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project that is still at the planning stage," he added.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_eastern-freeway-to-have-rail-corridor_1609718

fuwad

November 10th, 2011, 05:48 AM

City’s youngest terminus a blend of old & new

first look at the swank new kurla terminus

rajendra aklekar, DNA

http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/888/1110201190629am.jpg

The city's youngest rail terminus at kurla that had an image of a tin-shed station is set to change and will probably become an example in rail and road connectivity with hi-class passenger amenities and the city's major east-west road link of santacruz-chembur link road landing here.

The multi-dome shaped impressive station building with a glass façade is almost ready. the railways are developing this station as a 21st century alternative to dadar and mumbai cst to decongest the city's rail network in south mumbai.

The railways have tried to mould the old-age era into the station's façade by keeping on display an old age steam engine here.
with the elevated arm of the santacruz-chembur link road (sclr) landing directly in the station's circulating area, this station located in the middle of nowhere will suddenly have the best road and rail connectivity possible.

The station's hi-end facilities include airport style customised road dividers with troughs in between to allow passengers to drag luggage or trolleys. a six-metre-wide foot over bridge (fob) and subway to provide connectivity to all five platforms at LTT.

"The station building is ready and work on the elevated road is being completed at a rapid pace. a decade ago, LTT started with a modest two platforms and tin shed,'' a senior official at the site said. another official at the site said that the project, including the building and its circulating area, are being constructed at a cost of rs 27.3crore, with rs 16.5crore for the station building and rs.10.8crore for a vast circulating area for vehicles.

The circulating area of the station has been integrated with the ramp of the sclr and a two-level state-of-the-art station building will have waiting rooms, a huge central hall and separate rooms for men and women passengers.

With huge space, the circulating area has been planned well with pedestrian footpaths and separate bays for auto, taxi and public transport bus connectivity, where passengers can be dropped off an picked up.

The station will also have 128-metre-long and 7-metre-wide subway connecting the platforms and the new station building.

source : DNA Mumbai 10-11-2011

jinka sreekanth

November 10th, 2011, 07:04 AM

when I first visited mumbai in 2007 I was very disappointed after seeing the stations of Mumbai.It is a wecome deveopment things are changing now.thanks CG and fuwad for the updates :cheers:

KuwarOnline

November 10th, 2011, 09:29 PM

looks nice...way better than current ones.... :cheers:

niknak

November 11th, 2011, 02:59 AM

So are these new stations (Kurla, Andheri, etc ) entirely new bldgs or just a new facade on the existing building?

pkalein

November 11th, 2011, 06:41 AM

So are these new stations (Kurla, Andheri, etc ) entirely new bldgs or just a new facade on the existing building?

Don't know about LTT but in Andheri, Kalyan and other projects they just changed the facade and ticket booths platforms are still worst as they were

p2p4

November 11th, 2011, 11:51 AM

^^^ F*CKING GHASTLY !!! What were they thinking when they built this structure ! Almost choked on the besan ka laddu that I was munching on !!!

[QUOTE=Coolguyz;85268116]thane station (east)...not as busy as west side

http://i43.tinypic.com/4l0rus.jpg

Coolguyz

November 11th, 2011, 02:15 PM

So are these new stations (Kurla, Andheri, etc ) entirely new bldgs or just a new facade on the existing building?

LTT is entirely new. Andheri,Borivali are partly new. WR stations, trains are far better maintained than CR. Some like Vile parle,dadar,khar stations have fall ceilings with CFL lights rather than traditional bulbs. But credit has to be given to CR for washing pan stains of walls of CST every alternate day in the morning

Coolguyz

November 11th, 2011, 02:30 PM

24 hrs AC restaurant at CST long distance terminus.

http://img196.imageshack.us/img196/171/201111111258081.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/196/201111111258081.jpg/)

Euromast

November 11th, 2011, 02:46 PM

beautiful building from outside, from inside they have made it look like cinema hall where DADA kondkey's movies are run

siddharthp

November 11th, 2011, 04:37 PM

thane station (east)...not as busy as west side

http://i43.tinypic.com/4l0rus.jpg

It looks like a public toilet.

fuwad

November 14th, 2011, 12:14 PM

Brace for speed as Western Railway’s effects power shift

Published: Monday, Nov 14, 2011, 8:00 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Exactly at 3:10pm on November 13, Western Railway’s suburban network switched over to alternating current (AC) mode of power, making seamless travel a reality, increasing speed of trains, saving power and a promise of increasing suburban train services. It will also sound a death knell for rooftop travellers.

With a growing city like Mumbai, the WR on Sunday stepped up its power requirement keeping future growth in mind and installed the country's largest transformer on Indian Railways at Jogeshwari with a capacity of 30 million
volt amperes (MVA), which will help smooth running of longer 15-car trains.

“The power shift will save about Rs13 crore a year and it will lead to faster trains and create paths for more trains,” WR chief spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan said.

“We will be able to save time and power and have plans to increase services. The first priority is to convert all trains to 12-car. Outstation trains entering Mumbai wasted time in changing locomotives, which would not be required now,”he added.

Power was switched from DC to AC modebetween Vile Parle and Virar stations and the second phase will be completed by December2011, converting the entire section into AC. “Commuters will feel the change from Monday morning. The old and obsolete direct current technology has finally been changed and WR Mumbai is almost compatible with the rest of India's railway power network,” a senior official said.

Working on the Rs500 crore project, more than 500 workers toiled in sweltering heat to effect the changeover and the work was completed about 1 hour 20 minutes earlier than scheduled.

WR officials said that instead of 154 special trains planned, they ran 160 trains between Churchgate- Bandra and Bhayander-Virar.
Five 18-coach outstation trains were also ran as locals halting at all stations. The trains were being pulled by diesel locomotive.
http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_brace-for-speed-as-western-railways-effects-power-shift_1612112

gentem

November 14th, 2011, 12:37 PM

^^

Time to bid farewell to brown-and-yellow Mumbai locals (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_time-to-bid-farewell-to-brown-and-yellow-mumbai-locals_1612113)
Published: Monday, Nov 14, 2011, 8:00 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The familiar sight of brown-and-yellow local trains that run on direct current technology for at least two generations is finally going to history.

With the historic power shift on WR from 1,500-volt DC system to 25,000-volt AC, the direct current system trains that were introduced in the 1920s has been formally discontinued.

“There are no pure DC locals left on WR Mumbai now. We are looking at converting the remaining DC section between Vile Parle and Churchgate by December to ensure seamless travel,” Sharat Chandrayan, WR's chief spokesperson said.

AC-DC trains that can run under both the power modes will now be used. Another railway official said a few of the older locals will be upgraded to the new technology and used for some time. “We have succeeded in fitting new electric technology to a few older trains and this has extended their life by 10 more years. Two such trains are already running. They can now run on the upgraded power mode,” an official said.

Direct Current technology was first introduced in 1925 on the harbour line of Central Railway, then called the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. On the Western Railway, then called the Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway, this technology was
introduced in 1928 at a public function at Mahalaxmi station.

Mega-block pain for passenger gain (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Mega-block-pain-for-passenger-gain/articleshow/10722039.cms)
Somit Sen, TNN | Nov 14, 2011, 05.13AM IST
MUMBAI: The Western Railway's mega block on Sunday for DC-AC conversion of the Borivli-Vile Parle section, which restricted Bhayander-Bandra train services from 10.30 am to 4 pm, gave passengers a tough time.

While important stations like Dadar and Bandra were almost packed to capacity, reminiscent of weekday peak-hour rush, stations like Santa Cruz were empty in stark contrast.

At Dadar, most people in the crowd were outstation passengers and were not aware of the mega block. They had arrived by long-distance trains at the Central Railway section, their destination being the suburbs. Men were seen running around for information on connecting trains, their wives guarding the luggage and the children. "It's a huge rush here.

...

While BEST ran 150 addi tional buses to ease the fallout of the block, auto and taxi driv ers had a field day charging whimsical fares from hapless commuters, many of whom also complained of refusals. But the newly launched prepaid taxi service at Dadar station worked well, with several passengers opting for it.

WR spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan said the block went as planned and there were no complaints from passengers. "We thank Mumbaikars for their cooperation . The DC-AC conversion will make train services on the Western line more efficient." He said many people stayed back home and did not venture out because "they heeded our appeal in the media to curtail or postpone travel plans".
Hope central railway follows soon...

devendra1

November 14th, 2011, 04:51 PM

Bit old Article -
Pune and Mumbai need to be better connected

The Pune-Mumbai Railway Pravasi Sangh and the Mahratta Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Agriculture (MCCIA) have demanded more trains between Pune and Mumbai.

“There are no less than 25,000 office-goers commuting daily from Pune to Mumbai. There have been a number of long-pending demands. The first is for at least two trains between 10 am and 3 pm from Pune to Mumbai, as there is no direct train after 10 am. Passengers have to travel by road even if there are risks involved on the Express Highway,” pravasi sangh executive president Hemant Tapale said. “Shuttle services are needed between Pune and Panvel and Pune and Vasai. We have also been demanding expansion of Pune-Lonavla and Pune-Daund lines.” The organisation had, time and again, pointed out that many offices in Mumbai start functioning at 9 am and hence the trains should be timed in such a way that it will be helpful to office-goers.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/pune-and-mumbai-need-to-be-better-connected/753652/0

There are lot of trains in early morning and evenings but not so much in between. As I said direct Pune-Mumbai or atleast Pune-Karjat/Panvel local is needed

Bombay2Calcutta

November 15th, 2011, 03:26 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/11/15/Article//003/15_11_2011_003_002.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

November 15th, 2011, 04:43 AM

LOCALS, NETAS MEET OFFICIALS

Poor infra at Thane stn may cause stampede: CR

Nitin Yeshwantrao TNN

Thane: Top Central Railway (CR) officials on Monday admitted that inadequate infrastructure at Thane station could lead to a stampede.
Additional divisional railway manager HS Verma expressed concern about safety during a meeting with members of a commuters’ association, NCP MP Sanjeev Naik and Maharashtra Navnirman Sena workers. “Commuter safety at Thane station could be compromised since the development of adequate foot-overbridges and wide platforms have not kept pace with the increasing footfall,” a CR official said.
The 158-year-old Thane station, which is one of the most congested stations on the suburban route, sees a
footfall of close to six lakh commuters daily.
“The claim of revamping Thane station is rhetoric. Currently, it is one of the most unclean premises and offers few basic amenities. Thane station has 11 platforms and justthreetoilets,” said MNS member Suresh Kolte.
He added, “There are long queues at the ticket counter during the rush hour.” Naik voiced his displeasure at the neglect of Thane station. “Electronic surveillance systems have inadequate backup. Ideally, the system should save the footage for the last 10 days. Currently, the footage is stored for just three days after thatthe material is automatically deleted. It is time to upgrade the system and alsoensurethatCCTVcameras are in a working condition,” Naik said.

Coolguyz

November 23rd, 2011, 03:24 PM

Vashi Railway station with Infotech park above it.

http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/862/20111123141558.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/809/20111123141558.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Inside the station with elevators on right to companies above

http://img444.imageshack.us/img444/3545/20111123141221.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/444/20111123141221.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Way to platforms. What I like about Navi mumbai stations is there are no FOBs to go from one platform to other

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/8287/20111123141413.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/521/20111123141413.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Coolguyz

November 23rd, 2011, 03:31 PM

Front view

http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/4312/20111123142257.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/528/20111123142257.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Vashi residents taking full advantage of the Car and 2 wheeler parking facility at station, using trains to get to their workplace in mumbai

http://img208.imageshack.us/img208/1145/20111123142313.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/208/20111123142313.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

http://img850.imageshack.us/img850/1420/20111123142515.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/850/20111123142515.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

sixsigma1978

November 23rd, 2011, 10:28 PM

Coolguyz

November 24th, 2011, 04:14 AM

http://epaper.dnaindia.com/EpaperImages%5C14112011%5CKalyan-230411-large.jpg
^^So how many of these currently run on Mumbai locals?

CR and harbour still has some since it runs great distances but even that will be history.once CR also converts to AC. CR will get rakes which bombardier is supplying technology for

Vicky007

November 24th, 2011, 09:44 PM

Central Railway seeks permission to shut down highway to build tunnel.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_central-railway-seeks-permission-to-shut-down-highway-to-build-tunnel_1616614

After more than 160 years, another rail tunnel will be built in Mumbai.

And for this, the Central Railway plans to close down National Highway-4 (Mumbai-Chennai) so that they can lay new rail fifth and sixth railway lines under a hillock at Parsik Hill in Thane.

“For a change, we are seeking a block from the road authorities for this work. It will be conducted by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation,”said Subodh Kumar Jain, Central Railway general manager.

The first tunnel to lay rail lines was bore in Parsik Hill in 1854. The two new railway lines will be built along the slow lines, converting the existing two-line corridor into a four-line one.

“The 165-metre-long new tunnel will be built at an approximate cost of Rs5.5 crore. The tunnel will be bore through Nutan Hill, a hillock on Parsik Hill. The hillock has been named after the actress Nutan, who owned a bungalow there," a senior MRVC official said.

The additional railway lines will not just segregate outstation and local trains, but also increase the capacity of suburban trains.
The additional fifth and sixth railway lines have been laid between Kurla and Thane and Diva and Kalyan. The gap between Diva and Thane has to be fixed so that the train capacity can be increased.

The work is a part of phase II of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project .

The total cost of the project to lay two new rail lines between Thane-Diva is around Rs 133 crore and the work has to be completed by 2015.

The slow line will not just have tunnels, but also a new viaduct across the old Thane creek bridge.
Can anyone confirm if any work has so far been done on this viaduct?

“The slow line will have an additional pair of rails so that the fast tracks can be exclusively used by outstation and goods trains. Currently, the slow trains take a detour along the Parsik Hill whereas the fast trains take a side route through a tunnel, skipping Kalwa and Mumbra stations. Both these lines get separated before Kalwa station and meet a few meters before Diva station,’’ the MRVC official explained.

“We have done a geo-technical study and found that the rock is very solid and can easily bear the weight of the mountain. The tunnel would be by the method of controlled blasts and boring,” he added.

WinCPP

November 25th, 2011, 12:47 PM

The first tunnel to lay rail lines was bore in Parsik Hill in 1854. The two new railway lines will be built along the slow lines, converting the existing two-line corridor into a four-line one.

“The slow line will have an additional pair of rails so that the fast tracks can be exclusively used by outstation and goods trains.

So does that mean that fast local trains will almost go via Kalwa and Mumbra but just that they won't halt there... so would that add another 3-5 minutes to the fast train travel between Thane and Kalyan?

- WinCPP

KuwarOnline

November 26th, 2011, 02:16 PM

nice pics CG :cheers:

Vicky007

November 27th, 2011, 02:24 AM

In 2 yrs, railways to get sleek new rakes.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/In-2-yrs-railways-to-get-sleek-new-rakes/articleshow/10877339.cms

Suburban commuters aresetto get72 new generation rakes with stainless steel body. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has inked a deal with Canadian firm, Bombardier, for installation of electrical infrastructure in these trains that will roll out in phasesfrom December 2013.

The contract agreement for design, development, manufacture, supply, testing and commissioning electrical infrastructure with Bombardier Transportation will cost Rs 1,064 crore. All 72 rakes will be outby December 2015.

Rakesh Saksena, managing director, MRVC, said, "At first, two prototype rakes of 12-car are planned to be putunder trial in Mumbai in 12 to 15 months. Once the trials are successful, four 12-car rakes will be supplied per month from December 2013 onwards."

The new rakes will be less prone to corrosion, requirelesser maintenance and will look sleek compared to the Siemens rakes currently in the fleet. Like the Siemens rakes, the car body will be manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

Saksena said, "The National Institute of Design has been awarded the consultancy for interior furnishings, besidesexterior painting."

Each rake is estimated to cost Rs 31 crore. The new rakes will be suitable for 25 KV AC traction only and not for dual voltage. The speed potential can touch up to 110 kmph as against 100 kmph in the Siemens rakes. The rake length also can be increased to 18 car.

Of the 72 rakes, 38 may be handedover to Central Railway, while WR will get 34 rakes.

Arul Murugan

November 29th, 2011, 10:14 AM

Flash Mob Mumbai - CST Official Video

Iyt16efRrBo

p2p4

November 29th, 2011, 10:22 AM

^^^^ What was Sidhu doing there ? (watch him at 2:08)

And Kannan Saar at 2:38

And Rinku Aunty at 3:18

KuwarOnline

November 30th, 2011, 06:01 PM

Nice....

Vicky007

November 30th, 2011, 06:31 PM

So does that mean that fast local trains will almost go via Kalwa and Mumbra but just that they won't halt there... so would that add another 3-5 minutes to the fast train travel between Thane and Kalyan?

- WinCPP

No the fast local's would use the new tracks to be laid besides the existing one's used for slow locals.
The time taken to travel by trains using these new tracks would depend if the trains are also adding these stations as scheduled stops (may happen for Mumbra as its is heavily populated).Otherwise not.

Bombay2Calcutta

December 1st, 2011, 01:47 AM

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2011/12/01/Article//006/01_12_2011_006_003.jpg

Bombay2Calcutta

December 4th, 2011, 06:43 AM

3 stations set for a 103-crore makeover

Manthan K Mehta I TNN

Mumbai: Three busy suburban stations on Western Railway (WR)—Andheri, Jogeshwari and Goregaon—are all set for a Rs 103-crore makeover. Among other things, escalators will be installed at the stations, each of which will also get a new platform.
The mammoth revamp exercise is being undertaken to facilitate the extension of Harbour line up to Goregaon and will entail major remodelling of these stations, including demolition of existing home platforms (home platforms are ones where commuters do not have to use the FOB to come out of or enter a platform) as well as booking offices for the laying of tracks.
The work is being carried out by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II.
A senior MRVC official said, “Nearly 35% of the work is over. Our aim is to complete the project by March 2014.”
A senior MRVC official said, “Existing booking offices and platforms in use for Harbour line services on the west side of Andheri station will be demolished. A single-storey building with an area of 25,000 sq ft is being constructed. An elevated podium will house booking windows and other railway stalls.”
At Andheri, platform numbers 6 and 7, currently used for Harbour line services, will be demolished.
A new home platform will be built north of the existing location to align it with other platforms.
Platform no.1 in Andheri is a home platform for WR’s slow services heading towards Borivli. “In future, platform no.1 will become an island platform with its one side catering to trains heading to CST and the other to Borivli-bound slow trains,” said an official.
Andheri has a total of nine platforms and this number will not change after the remodelling.
Structures adjacent to platform no.1 in Andheri, like booking offices, will be demolished to pave the way for laying of tracks up to Goregaon.
At Jogeshwari, there are two platforms which cater to north-bound slow services. The home platform at this station will also be demolished. Due to lack of space, there will be no home platform at this station. A new island platform will be built for Harbour line trains.
The platform plan for Goregaon station will be more or less similar to that of Andheri. Goregaon will get a home platform and the existing one will become an island platform for CST/Panvel Harbour line and Borivli slow trains. Besides, a new station building similar to the one at Andheri will come up.
The official said, “Commuters will not be inconvenienced as 1.1-m wide heavy duty escalators will be installed that will allow them to descend straight on the elevated deck and FOB linked to all platforms.”
As of now, 86 services operate between Andheri and CST on Harbour line. An official said that as Harbour line services are few and far between compared to WR services, there will be a window to operate Andheri locals for Churchgate from the Harbour line platform. “We want to make optimum use of this facility,” said the official.

Indtrans

December 6th, 2011, 02:16 PM

The Nerul – Uran Rail track of 27 kilometers is currently under construction. The proposed railway stations and the distances are as follows.

Station Distance from Nerul in km

Seawoods 1.38

Sagar Sangam 3.23

Targhar 5.81

Bamandongri 7.55

Kharkopar 9.55

Gavan 11.85

Ranjanpada 15.90

Nhava-Sheva 19.13

Dronagiri 20.09

Uran 23.65

The further plans include one Ring railway of 15 kilometers and Mansarovar – Taloja track of 11 kms in length.

Source: http://cidcoindia.com/cidco/Publicfacility.aspx

Bombay2Calcutta

December 7th, 2011, 05:42 PM

The Globe and Mail (http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-investor/bombardier-wins-mumbai-rail-deal/article2251760/print/)
Bombardier wins Mumbai rail deal
MONTREAL— The Canadian Press

Bombardier Inc. BBD.B-T says its rail division has won a $214-million order from Mumbai Railway Vikas Corp., a joint venture between India’s national government and the state of Maharashtra.

The order, announced Monday from Berlin by the Montreal-based company’s Transportation division, is for Bombardier Mitrac propulsion and control equipment to be produced in India.

Production will take place at a Bombardier plant in Maneja, India. Deliveries will begin in the last quarter of 2012 and be completed in the third quarter of 2014.

“It is a prestigious project and the largest for Bombardier’s propulsion and controls business in India,” said Benoît Cattin Martel, president and managing director of Bombardier Transportation India.

Bombardier said the order relates to a total of 72 commuter trains of 12 cars each.

MRVC is a joint venture between India’s railway ministry and the Maharashtra government.

Bombay2Calcutta

December 7th, 2011, 05:45 PM

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_mumbai-custom-made-locals-to-start-rolling-inby-december-12_1622360

Mumbai: Custom-made locals to start rolling inby December ’12

The new Mumbai local that is expected to add to commuters’ comfort will be manufactured as per the city’s specifications.
It will take into account the city’s high temperatures, humidity and heavy monsoons which cause flooding on rail tracks.

Bombardier, the global firm that has got a contract for 72 new 12-car trains, will make the train’s electrical engines at Gujarat in consultation with German engineers, transport them to Chennai to be fitted on rail coaches and then deliver them to Mumbai where they will be formally commissioned.

“It will be a multi-state journey for the new train that will look into Mumbai’s specifications. The trains will start arriving by December 2013 and all trains are expected to be here by 2015,” a senior official of the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) said.

Rakesh Saksena, managing director of MRVC, said the new trains will have additional features over the existing new-age trains. They will be made of steel, will have hi-speed potential of 110 kmph and will be able to run as 18-car trains.

“The first two 12-car trains are planned to be put under test and trial in Mumbai in 12 to 15 months. After successful trial of these rakes, supply at the rate of four 12-car trains a month is expected to start sometime in December 2013,” he added.

The production will take place at Bombardier’s plant in Maneja, India, supported by Bombardier’s sites in Mannheim and Hennigsdorf, Germany. The completed sets of electrical equipment will be delivered to Integral Coach Factory in Chennai for installation and pre-commissioning. The final commissioning will take place in Mumbai.

Bombay2Calcutta

December 7th, 2011, 05:53 PM

Central Railway projects back on track with new boss

Published: Tuesday, Dec 6, 2011, 8:09 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_central-railway-projects-back-on-track-with-new-boss_1621851)

Less than 25 days after taking over the country’s oldest railway network, Central Railway’s new general manager Subodh Kumar Jain has already made a ‘connect’ with CR commuters and cleared a large number of commuter-specific projects that had been pending for decades.

The east-west connectivity bridges at Kurla, Vikhroli, Kopri at Thane, and Vitava near Kalwa have been cleared at one go. Besides, all the mainline locals have been converted into 12-car trains, making life simpler for commuters who were harassed by the irregular nine- and 12-car services. In fact, the very night Jain was instated, on November 9, a compartment was opened up for women in advanced stages of pregnancy.

“These are small and micro-level things for most of the top officers, who seldom understand the commuting aspect of suburban trains. With the general manager personally taking up these issues, positive changes are being reflected in the public domain,” a railway official said.

“The suburban network is close to my heart, and there should not be any change without consulting me,” he is said to have told his principal heads of departments. Jain, one of the finest brains in the Indian Railways, is a civil engineer from IIT-Roorkie and has been in the forefront of Mumbai’s rail development.

“Even when he was on Western Railway, he was called in to monitor the remodelling of the Masjid Bunder station. He was the one who came up with the idea of lifting the bridges for DC-AC conversion, and is definitely one of the most imaginative minds in the railways,” said one of his old colleagues.

Other big-ticket projects that he is keenly involved in are the running of 15-car trains, a new glass-facade look for Churchgate, the development of an elevated Dadar terminus, and makeovers for Bandra and Borivli stations.

Chief spokesperson Vidyadhar Malegaonkar said, “Random visits to stations, and interaction with passengers at the ground level to understand the real situation, has made him popular with commuters and their problems.”

Bombay2Calcutta

December 7th, 2011, 06:01 PM

MD (http://www.mid-day.com/news/2011/dec/061211-CR-wants-builders-to-make-toilets-at-stations.htm)
CR wants builders to make toilets at stations

Railway officials have approached Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry to help develop facilities at key stations like Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Vikhroli, Kurla and CST

In an attempt to furnish railway stations with topnotch toilet facilities, Central Railway (CR) authorities, in a resolute project, have decided to approach builders, developers and corporate houses to construct posh and hygienic toilets at railway stations. Authorities hope to develop key stations like Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Vikhroli, Kurla and CST. Likewise, toilets on smaller stations will also be developed, if any developer is interested.

Raising a stink: Commuters complain that the conditions of the existing
toilets at stations are so pathetic and filthy that they have to cover their
noses to pass by. File pic

To start with, CR officials are in consultation with Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) hoping that MCHI will negotiate, on their behalf, with top-builders who could build a plush toilet block at railway platforms. "We have spoken to them [members of MCHI] and are hoping for a meeting soon," said a senior CR official on condition on anonymity.

"We want 5-star toilet blocks similar to the ones at shopping malls and theatres. Builders and big corporate houses could afford to develop such a structure, which would also appease commuters," added the CR official.

CR authorities are of the view that builders and corporate bodies who have offices near a particular railway station will show interest in the project. Officials attached to MCHI confirmed that railway officials are in discussions with them but stated that there hasn't been any official communication yet.

Stinky, smelly
Commuters who travel on central line have been grumbling that conditions of existing toilets are so pathetic and dirty that people tend to cover their nose, when passing by them, due to the foul smell emitted. Also many a times, toilets meant for women are locked and closed.

Lata Argade, member, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, said, "Not all stations have toilets at every platform. The existing toilets are usually locked and if they are open they are in a bad condition and are mostly infested by beggars and drug addicts."

Toilet blocks
Meanwhile, developers will construct toilet blocks on build, operate and transfer (BOT) basis and will be given advertising rights for a period of five years after which it would be handed back to the railways.

At a recent meeting between commuters organisations headed by MLC Sanjay Kelkar and newly appointed General Manager Subodh Jain of CR, the latter promised them with better quality of toilets at railway stations.

Recently, after joining office, Jain had said that his first priority would be to construct good toilets and that they would get in touch with private developers.

Stinking findings

According to a survey-based study conducted in 2010 by ORF, the wretched condition of toilets and urinals at most of the stations on Central line were uncloaked. Commuters -- especially women -- avoid toilets due to their terrible state of neglect. Moreover, the report highlighted that there is a provision for only 355 toilet seats and 673 urinals on the CST to Kasara-Khopoli stretch on the main line and between CST to Panvel on the Harbour Line. It also stated that 93 per cent of the toilets that were found to be 'closed' or 'out of use' were intended for women.

The report also mentions that by the standards of the best suburban railway networks in USA, UK and even China, the Mumbai Suburban Rail Network should have 12,600 toilet seats to serve the needs of its commuters. Thus, the shortfall is more than 12,000 toilet seats. Nearly 37 lakh commuters travel on the Central line everyday.

hshah

December 8th, 2011, 11:32 AM

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/City/Mumbai/%0A%09%09CST-Kurla-corridor-to-be-a-costly-affair/articleshow/11028186.cms

Central Railway's plan (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/plan) to lay a fifth and sixth corridor (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/corridor) between CST and Kurla (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/CST-and-Kurla), though feasible on paper, is going to be an expensive and time-consuming (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/topic/time-consuming) affair.
The project involves acquisition of prime pieces of land between the two destinations.

While the fifth and sixth corridor already exists between Kurla-Thane and Diva-Kalyan, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation has already begun laying fifth and sixth tracks between Thane and Diva.

Once executed, the entire express and goods train traffic will have an exclusive corridor right up to Kalyan from CST. As of now, the existing third and fourth corridors are used for long distance trains and fast suburban services.

On an average, 100 long distance trains originate/terminate at CST, Dadar, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), CST and Mumbai Port Trust. The shifting of these trains to an exclusive fifth and sixth corridor will free up space to introduce more suburban services, thus reducing the over-crowding in compartments and making the journey quicker.

But there's a long way to go before this dream becomes a reality. "It's going to be Herculean task, since a vast area of land will have to be acquired at three places in the heart of Mumbai," said a CR official. "Besides rehabilitation costs, the project will entail expenditure between Rs 800-900 crore."

The official added that they will require land, which is 11-m wide, adjacent to the existing tracks to lay the fifth and sixth corridors.

CR needs 3,000 sq m of area on the east side of Currey Road; 3,800 sq m at Masjid (East); and 8,000 sq m between Matunga and Sion to carry out the expansion. A detailed survey was carried out by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) for these two corridors.

The rehabilitation cost of this process will be enormous as it will involve shifting of people from prime residential and commercial buildings. "If the rehab issue is settled, it will take no more than 5 years to finish work on this corridor," said the CR official. "It took 15 years to complete work on the fifth and sixth corridors between Kurla and Thane, mostly encroached by slum-dwellers. We had to deal with time-consuming litigations, filed by Project Affected People," he added.

The other challenge is to increase the length of the seven existing bridges to create space for laying tracks. The official explained, "We will use pushbox technology to create space below the bridge. This will take 12 months. We will take up work on 2-3 bridges simultaneously."

Coolguyz

December 8th, 2011, 04:22 PM

Some better cake shops opening on suburban stations. This one at Vashi

http://img580.imageshack.us/img580/4456/20111208143526.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/580/20111208143526.jpg/) Uploaded with ImageShack.us (http://imageshack.us)

Bombay2Calcutta

December 9th, 2011, 06:57 AM

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Mumbai/Govt-gives-initial-nod-to-8-rail-expansion-projects/Article1-779806.aspx)
Govt gives initial nod to 8 rail expansion projects

The Maharashtra government on Thursday gave the initial go-ahead to eight major railway projects which have been planned to expand the suburban railway network. The expansion plan is spread over the next two decades and will cost approximately Rs 52,000 crore.

The top two projects among these eight are a fast corridor between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Panvel, and a new suburban corridor on the Virar-Vasai Road-Diva-Panvel. Both are priority projects for the state as well as the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the authority that undertakes rail infrastructure projects.

MRVC proposed the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) III concept document at the board of directors’ (BoD) biannual meeting held on Thursday and chaired by the state’s urban development secretary, T C Benjamin.

At the meeting, Benjamin emphasised that the two projects mentioned earlier should be taken on top priority as the Group of Ministers (GoM) has given in-principle approval for a feasibility study at an approximate cost of Rs 10 crore.

“The CSTM-Panvel fast corridor, which will provide connectivity to the proposed new international airport at Navi Mumbai, and the Virar-Vasai Road-Diva-Panvel section, are priority projects for both, the state government and MRVC. A detailed project comprising estimated cost, planning, rehabilitation, elevation, etc for the above corridors should be drawn up within 8-12 months,” said Rakesh Saxena, Managing Director (MD) of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC).

The other six projects in MUTP III are the third and fourth additional lines between Virar and Dahanu Road, Kalyan and Kasara, Kalyan and Karjat, harbour line extension from Goregaon to Borivli, fifth and sixth additional lines between Borivali and Virar, and new suburban lines in Navi Mumbai.

“The MUTP phase III has comprehensive plans till 2031. This has been done keeping in mind the demand-supply required 20 years down the line. However, CST-Panvel and Virar-Vasai Road-Diva-Panvel section remain a priority. Now, we will find out the estimated funds required for these projects,” said Saxena.

Vicky007

December 9th, 2011, 07:18 PM

52,000 Crores.Maharashtra Govt is bankrupt and Central Govt is tightfisted regarding funds for any Mumbai projects so our kids will be lucky to see if MUTP III project is completed during their life time.

dreadathecontrols

December 9th, 2011, 10:34 PM

India a truly unique democratic dharmic land where in various elections more number of votes have been cast by its citizens then from any other country. The billions of universal franchise exercised is a Cumalative feat which will remain unparalled till the existance of Mankind.
Erm, booth capturing, vote buying, MP's being on the payroll?
C'mon mate ;-)

kalkibhagwan

December 10th, 2011, 01:29 AM

Coolguyz

December 10th, 2011, 04:03 AM

52k crores over a period of decades, not in one year. MUTP 1 is done,MUTP 2 is underway,MUTP 3 will be done later for which groundwork is underway of which getting the above approval was the first stage.Btw extension work of harbour line from andheri to goregaon is going on full pace. Land is being flattened at lot of places. Laying of tracks to start trains from Mahim Jn is done. After CR now WR will have all 12 coach rakes by 2012. Bombardier has started working on electricals for new 72 coahed at its Gujarat factory.

Bombay2Calcutta

December 10th, 2011, 07:51 AM

On track: CST-Kalyan high speed corridor

Plan Visualized On The Lines Of Churchgate To Virar Project; Pre-Feasibility Work Proposed
Manthan K Mehta | TNN

Central Railway has sought the railway board’s approval for a pre-feasibility study to construct a Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus-Kalyan highspeed corridor, on the lines of a similar project conceived for Western Railway between Churchgate and Virar. The proposal was submitted on Thursday.
A senior railway official told TOI on Friday that the prefeasibility study may find a mention in the railway minister’s budget speech, after which consultants will be appointed to carry out a pre-feasibility study for this project. According to rough estimates, it may cost Rs 16,500 crore.
Rail Indian Technical and Economic Services (RITES) may be appointed to carry out the survey at a cost of Rs 9 crore. It will take at least a year to complete the survey.
The pre-feasibility study will identify the alignments through which this 55-kilometre route will traverse, the location of stations and other infrastructural needs for the project. It will also provide initial estimates of the cost involved in execution of the corridor, which will see trains plying with air-conditioned coaches.
The state government is keen on the project as development of a high-speed corridor is seen as essential to meeting the growth in traffic due to rapid development in the extended suburbs between Thane and Kalyan.
On the suburban railway system, the average annual growth in passenger traffic is 3-4%. In 2010-2011, approximately 3.9 million passengers travelled in suburban trains per day on CR compared with 3.7 million in the corresponding period of the previous year. Due to conversion of all the services to 12-car trains, the number of commuters per coach has decreased to 227 per coach from a staggering 293 per coach in 2007-08.
The peak hour load of passengers per coach may decline in the short term after 72 new rakes begin to get inducted in the railways fleet by 2015. Of these, half will be handed over to WR and some will be deployed on Harbour as well as Trans-Harbour line.
The official said, “With the addition of new rakes, the situation may improve for a few years. However, in the long run, we will have to open new corridors to reduce the peakhour load as the passenger traffic will continue to grow, but capacity-building on the existing infrastructure will come to a halt due to lack of space and engineering constraints. In such a scenario, it does make sense to have a highspeed corridor that will partially take the elevated route.”
The railway has already stepped up efforts to implement the Churchgate-Virar high-speed elevated corridor, besides approving a detailed study for the Panvel-Navi Mumbai corridor to provide connectivity to the proposed Navi Mumbai Airport.

LOCAL ISSUE

INCLUSION OF MORE 12-COACH RAKES ON THE CENTRAL RAILWAY MAIN LINE AS WELL AS HARBOUR LINE HAS TRANSLATED INTO EASIER COMMUTE FOR PASSENGERS IN THE CITY

Current status of elevated highspeed corridor projects in the city
CHURCHGATE-VIRAR Estimated cost: Rs 15,000 crore

The state government and the ministry of railways have created a joint task force with senior bureaucrats as representatives to deal with issues related to land acquisition and the mode of funding for the 60-km corridor

CST-PANVEL | Estimated cost: Not yet decided

MRVC has approved a detailed feasibility report for the project, which will provide rail connectivity between South Mumbai and the proposed international airport at Navi Mumbai. RITES will be carry out a survey on the proposed project within 12 months

Bombay2Calcutta

December 10th, 2011, 09:26 PM

DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_2-new-rail-lines-for-south-mumbai_1623288)
2 new rail lines for south Mumbai

A four-line dedicated suburban train corridor between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Kurla, with no criss-crossing or mix-up of outstation, goods or mail express trains, might soon become a reality.The railways plan to lay two additional lines between the 54-km CST and Kalyan stretch to cater exclusively to outstation and freight national traffic.

The project aims to segregate national rail traffic from local trains. “The cost of land in south Mumbai is high and as the alignment would require shifting of houses and acquiring land, it would not be that easy. But, after all the hurdles are cleared, the project can be implemented in two-and-a-half years,’’ said a senior railway official, requesting anonymity.

The Central Railway will build the two-line corridor at an estimated cost of Rs659 crore, according to the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, the railways’ think tank.

While work between Kurla and Kalyan is under various stages of completion, the railways have zeroed in on the final plans for two additional lines between Kurla and CST.

The plan envisages acquiring 15,000 sqm of land, widening spaces under arterial bridges, such as Tilak bridge at Dadar and Byculla bridge, and relocating houses and dwellings.

“The multi-crore project of building the fifth and sixth lines between CST and Kalyan has been divided into four parts. While the 11-km stretch between Kalyan to Diva had been opened, the one between Diva-Thane is still being built. The 18-km stretch between Thane-Kurla has also been opened and the final 16-km stretch between Kurla to CST has now been planned,” the senior railway official said.