Double Decker local trains = Anyone who comes up with such an idea has no idea of the situation on the ground. It's a typical case of frog in the well.
Sydney has a double decker (local/subway) line.. it can work.. but they need really good crowd management in stations

what a pathetic condition of public transportation of one of our finest cities. mumbai deserves so much better.

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/New-trains-to-become-faster-smoother-in-two-years/Article1-572019.aspx)
Beware while crossing railway tracks. You never know when a train with a speed of more than 110 km per hour might pass. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation is planning to fit Alternating Current (AC) traction motors or engines in the second lot of new-age trains expected to come in two years. AC traction motors will be beneficial, cially when the railways complete converting the 1,500 volts Direct Current (DC) line to 25,000 volts AC line.

“We expect completion of DC-AC conversion between Churchgate and Borivli by 2010 end,” said WR Divisional Railway Manager, G. Pillai. Once done, the maximum speed of trains would be 110 kmph.

The old trains run on DC traction motors while new-age trains on DC-AC trains. “The jerks that commuters face when a train starts will also stop,” said a railway official. “We are enhancing the technology of traction motors so that trains run faster and consume less power,” said another railway official.

The braking system inside trains too would be superior. The axles of the trains will be fitted with disc-braking systems wherein multiple brakes will be installed from the centre of the wheel to prevent accidents when sudden brakes are applied.

Currently, normal brakes are installed on the sides of the wheels, which help the motorman to start applying brake from a distance if he wants to stop at the platform.

The interiors too will be better with the Research Design and Standard Organisation looking at expanding the ventilation.

Is the Railway Ministry listening?

Lunatic Express: The World's 10 Wildest Rides

http://news.travel.aol.com/2010/07/08/the-worlds-10-wildest-rides/

They don't care man. They are traveling in air conditioned cars and are filling up their bank accounts with more cash everyday.

double decker trains have doors on only one level... the idea you are suggesting means you need to have atleast 6 feet high doors on both levels. This would mean the height of the coach will be atleast 12-14 feet on top of the wheel base. not good for the centre of gravity. Also, to retrofit the stations to support this would be ridiculous and impact current operations massively.

Yes its the case but if you see the current platforms are to short for that many no of people to stand. If Infrastructure needs to be changed to have multiple level doors, they can still do it very slowly on 1 line when more lines are intorduced. Or Have more no of doors but that will only increase no of people on each Platform. Either the Platform width should be increased (this will reduce the no of platform in a station) or have elevated rail so that more no of platforms are introduced and the crowding on the platforms is reduced. Currently all the Platforms are saturated and I do not think they will be able to handle the load 10-15 years down the line even if more metro lines are introduced as MMR will keep on expanding and more no of people will be travelling from the newly developed areas. may be in 2 decades or so we may need elevated rails/ more no of metro lines / increasing no of tracks to 10-12
on central/western lines for a comfortable ride.

Not sure if this was posted before ... guess it's not as bad as this in Mumbai suburban ... it's not China but Japan ...

sHQN_vWhzPo

Source (http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/june-next-year-world-bank-extends-deadline-for-virar-car-shed-new-rakes/646591/)
Mumbai The World Bank has extended till June 2011 the deadline for two projects under the rail component of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), phase I — the Virar car shed project and commissioning of new rakes. The earlier deadlines were December 2010 for the car shed and March 2011 for the commissioning of rakes.
A World Bank team is in the city to review progress.

Under phase I, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) was to procure 129 new rakes; so far, it has procured 92. “We will be able to procure 119 by March 2011 and the remaining 10 will be commissioned by June 2011,” said Prakash Rao Vazalwar, MRVC chief operations manager. Officials attributed the delay to non-availability of wheels and technical errors in the rakes.

DC-to-AC conversion has been delayed due to non-commissioning of the trains. The new trains can run on both AC and DC traction, at speeds up to 100 km per hour. “The old trains are not equipped to run on AC traction. So until we do not get enough rakes, we cannot convert the DC section to AC,” said a Central Railway official.

“The Virar car shed, initially designed to accommodate 12-coach trains, is being redesigned for 15-coach ones. We have one 15-coach train today; the coming years will see more,” said an MRVC official.

Stabling lines to accommodate 15-coach rakes have been laid, but several other aspects remain. “The car shed is on marshy land and the area gets flooded in the monsoon. Even the approach is bad and work can not begin in full swing during the monsoon,” the official said.

Sources said laying of the fifth and sixth lines between Thane and Kurla, delayed due to rehabilitation and resettlement issues, has been put on the fast track and should be completed by the end of the year.

^^^^:ohno:
Shameful management. All gubernatorial and federal input in Mumbai's transport affairs should cease. In order for transport in mumbai to improve, Mumbai Suburban Railway has to be a separate entity from IR. WR and CR headquarters should be relocated to elsewhere. Why would IR want to keep the loss making suburban system anyway. Once they have seceded from IR, all public transport in MMR should be unified under ONE civic body. This would allow for better connectivity, easier transfers and common ticketing between all transport in the city including, The Metro, The Monorail, The Local trains and of course The BEST Busses. Ideally, this new civic agency should have supreme control over anything to do with transport in mumbai including Roads, Footpaths and Freeways, Waterways and Taxi's and Rickshaws. This agency should strike a deal with a reputable land developer (DLF, Lodha) for rehabilitation purposes. All other agencies in mumbai (that means YOU mmrda) should be expelled from Mumbai. Im an ABCD. Whenever I visit Mumbai, I see great potential. Its sickening to see these gundas in government squander it.

Sydney has a double decker (local/subway) line.. it can work.. but they need really good crowd management in stations

Sydney is not Mumbai and Mumbai is not Sydney. The total population of Andheri and Bandra in Mumbai is greater than the population of the entire Sydney Metropolitan area. Anyone suggesting a double decker local train for Mumbai is an armchair expert sitting in some isolated corner of the world with no knowledge of the ground realities.

Sydney is not Mumbai and Mumbai is not Sydney. The total population of Andheri and Bandra in Mumbai is greater than the population of the entire Sydney Metropolitan area. Anyone suggesting a double decker local train for Mumbai is an armchair expert sitting in some isolated corner of the world with no knowledge of the ground realities.

Absolutely, the double decker local train will be one of the biggest blunders to commit, especially in a place where the passengers in the train jump to the station before the train comes to a halt and also get into the train after it has started moving. I just saw it once and since then whenever I'm in Mumbai taxi is something that I would prefer even though it is a little expensive and take a little longer time. I do think that the officials can do something about the problem if they are ready to race their minds over this.

double decker trains have doors on only one level... the idea you are suggesting means you need to have atleast 6 feet high doors on both levels. This would mean the height of the coach will be atleast 12-14 feet on top of the wheel base. not good for the centre of gravity. Also, to retrofit the stations to support this would be ridiculous and impact current operations massively. Here is a picture of an Indian double decker coach (not local but long distance)
http://im.rediff.com/money/2010/apr/01train.jpg
Contrast with double decker coaches used for commuter rail in Toronto (where platforms are much lower)
http://en.wikivisual.com/images/2/2d/Go_Train_046.jpg

The Toronto GO trains shown are not pure "local" trains in the sense. The GO trains are commuter trains for sure, but they connect Toronto to neighbouring towns and cities like Mississauga, Markham, Burlington, St Catherines, Milton, Caledon etc. TTC (Toronto Transit Corporation) which runs the local sub-way system of Toronto has all single decker trains.

Mumbai Locals are more closer to a subway or metro than a commuter rail. No metro on earth has double decker coaches. Double decker trains can be used on xpress routes that go directly form Mumbai to Vasai, Bhiwandi and other northern suburbs. No retrofits are needed if door height and roof height are same.

I think double decker coaches can work in Mumbai if Implemented in a proper way and designed properly. Lets say the positions of the doors are kept as the present locations of the current locals and there is a stair case from somewhere 4 meter from the entry door inside the coach then the issues may be less. But 1 thing is for sure they will have to limit the no of stops (even less than the current fast train stops) and add about 5 secs of stoppage time at each station. Or have electronic doors for the upper level which will only open at specific stops. Thus the people may only get into or get out of the upper level on those stops only so for remaining stops the stoppage time need not be changed. Having said this train should only replace some of the fast trains, for slow trains this will not work.

Also all this should be done only after other options like adding more tracks, improving the signalling system and increasing the freq are done with.

Also we may have to evaluate the no of changes in present infra for adding more coaches vs double decker coaches.

Would like to add that I am not an armchair expert and I have travelled 100's of times in the Mumbai Local and that too in peak hours and for long distance :)

The Toronto GO trains shown are not pure "local" trains in the sense. The GO trains are commuter trains for sure, but they connect Toronto to neighbouring towns and cities like Mississauga, Markham, Burlington, St Catherines, Milton, Caledon etc. TTC (Toronto Transit Corporation) which runs the local sub-way system of Toronto has all single decker trains.

Where does IR get these horrid colour combinations from?

Forget the color combination for now. The coach's exterior seems like its made from scrap material. Patre ka dibba is what it can be called. Color combination might come from their "planners".

Where does IR get these horrid colour combinations from?
^^That particular coach is to be used in Garib Raath rakes which has the same livery.


Double deckers are only practical on medium haul routes with lots of passengers and few stops. They can start an express service that only stops at Virar and Bandra to cater to people living in outer ring suburbs and people connecting from the 2nd metro line.

:bash::bash: Automatic doors should be standard on ALL trains in Mumbai.

Where does IR get these horrid colour combinations from?

Clearly the designer was a Packers fan. :)

Sydney is not Mumbai and Mumbai is not Sydney. The total population of Andheri and Bandra in Mumbai is greater than the population of the entire Sydney Metropolitan area. Anyone suggesting a double decker local train for Mumbai is an armchair expert sitting in some isolated corner of the world with no knowledge of the ground realities.

As i mentioned in an earlier post, it would make sense to use double deckers as ultra fast trains from beyond borivili/thane to the city> I have never implied double decker locals would work for Mumbai. All I am saying is it has been done in other circumstances

Clearly the designer was a Packers fan. :)

Haha. Good line but I don't think there are many football fans on SSCi.

double decker coaches are just not suitable for mtero-like service where most of the people have to be standing. double deckers cannot have standing area and hence would have lesser cpacity.

however they are eminently suitable for all the shatabdi express trains. and it is not a problem to run double decker trains in India ... our train height / power-line height are standard ...

Double deckers are only practical on medium haul routes with lots of passengers and few stops. They can start an express service that only stops at Virar and Bandra to cater to people living in outer ring suburbs and people connecting from the 2nd metro line.
.

wrong ! it is for precisely very high density routes (and quick stops) that double deckers are not suitable. they cannot have the 20 second turnaround time that is needed for high density routes.

you dont need double deckers. you need more lines (i.e. metro)

What I really wish for is that they take the railway line underground and build a road on top of it. That's what NY did in the 1800's and the result was one of the finest avenues - Park avenue. If they do that then there will be no use of building the western freeway. But that's another thing since it'll entail overhauling the entire railway system..something that the IR/WR is not interested in at the moment.

^^
That will require major temporary infrastructure and huge water pumps during monsoon season. Imagine how much chaos and delays would be caused during construction. I don't think it would be safe to run rakes without doors in tunnels.

Sydney is not Mumbai and Mumbai is not Sydney. The total population of Andheri and Bandra in Mumbai is greater than the population of the entire Sydney Metropolitan area. Anyone suggesting a double decker local train for Mumbai is an armchair expert sitting in some isolated corner of the world with no knowledge of the ground realities.

Lame excuse. The overall population is meaningless, only population density is important. The difference in overall population density between Bombay and similarly prominent cities in the developed world is not very much (in the case of Paris and other similarly dense cities, it's negligible).

That said, I'm skeptical about the double-decker idea. It doesn't seem feasible simply because of the ridership - lines with similar ridership (viz. Tokyo) don't employ it, and probably with good reason.

There were these reports about AC trains coming to Mumbai soon. Are they actually going anywhere?

There were these reports about AC trains coming to Mumbai soon. Are they actually going anywhere?

I read about AC locals first in the year 2000, good article in a newspaper (Midday I think), nice renderings too...It made me very happy as it was a very optimistic report...

Which report you read? I suggest start collecting these report, make a fancy fan out of it and use it on trains when u need AC...
(sorry for being so sarcastic, you know it's not intended to ridicule you ;) )

I again read recently (just few months back) that they are expediting the process to implement AC trains. According to the feasibility report entire elevated AC train is not possible. Now the Plan is Partly elevated (I guess from Virar to Borrivilli or further) then on ground level (i Guess Bandra is one area where AC trains will be on ground level) and near churchgate AC trains will be UG. We all know how many plans come and go and how many are implemented. But lets be optimistic about this one.

http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/430million-deal-inked-for-urban-transport-project/650970/

$430-million deal inked for urban transport project.

Mumbai The World Bank on Friday signed a $430 million deal with various government agencies involved in the development and improvement of the suburban rail services in Mumbai under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project II A.
The loan, the nod for which had come earlier, along with funding from the railway ministry and the Maharashtra government, will be utilised in train procurement, DC-to-AC conversion, train maintenance facilities, stabling lines of EMU and technical upgrading.

MUTP II A is expected to benefit suburban commuters by segregating suburban train operations from the mainline passenger and freight services. All the trains running on suburban section will have 12 cars. These steps is expected to bring down commuter density on trains. The objective of the MVRC is to bring down peak-hour passenger density from 5,000 to 3,000 per train on completion of MUTP II.

The loan agreement of $430 million equivalent was signed by the representatives from the Government of India, the Government of Maharashtra, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Limited (MRVC) and the World Bank.

“The first Mumbai Urban Transport Project has already managed to reduce the level of crowding in suburban trains from 4,500 to 4100 passengers per 9-coach train at peak hours in spite of traffic increase,” said Hubert Nove-Josserand, World Bank Senior Urban Transport Specialist and Project Team Leader.

“This follow-up project will further improve the capacity, operational efficiency, level of comfort and strengthen the institutional capacity of the agencies in charge of the suburban rail system in the Mumbai Metropolitan area,” he added.

In 2006-07, an estimated 6.4 million passengers used on the Mumbai suburban railway every day, making it the city’s lifeline as it represents more than half of all motorised travel. Against the carrying capacity of 1,700 a 9-car train car then had over 4,500 peak-hour passengers, which works out to an astounding, seemingly impossible,16 people per square metre.

I thought that the city had already been running 12 cars since a long time.

not all are 12-cars yet i think

Railways need Rs30,000 crore to be world-class

Ninad Siddhaye / DNA Saturday, July 24, 2010

Mumbai: On the same day as the World Bank (WB) sanctioned loans for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-II-A, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) managing director PC Sehgal gave a presentation on the need to continue improving suburban infrastructure through MUTP-III. A comprehensive transport study done by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which was a part of the presentation, stated that the railways will need Rs30,000 crore to become world-class by 2030.

Interestingly, many critical aspects, which were missing in the first two phases of MUTP were present in the set of demands put across by MRVC. “I agree that these are critical demands and I expect the state government as well as the ministry of railways to look at fulfilling them,” said Sehgal.

The demands were to have a new route - Virar-Vasai-Diva-Panvel; extending harbour line up to Borivli; having track 3 and 4 on Virar-Dahanu route; having track 5 and 6 on the Borivli-Virar route; a fast corridor on harbour line; and having 12 coach rakes on harbour line and 15 coach rakes for western and central suburban lines.

Meanwhile, the second phase of MUTP will finally see segregation between train operations of mainline passenger as well as freight services from the suburban train operations. Also, all trains on the suburban lines will be 12 coach rakes. There will be in all 800 new trains — a 30% increase over MUTP-I, which will bring down the passenger count in every 9-coach train to 3,000 from the existing 5,000.

“MUTP-I has managed to reduce the level of crowding in suburban trains from 4,500 to 4,100 passengers per a 9-coach train during peak hours,” said Hubert Nove Josserand, senior urban transport specialist and project team leader, WB.

correction

railways need better organisation to be world class.

correction

railways need better organisation to be world class.


I agree.

After a comfortable ride, feel the pain at Mumbai stations

Ninad Siddhaye / DNA Saturday, July 24, 2010

Mumbai: Finances for the ambitious Rs3,631-crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-II-A got sorted out on Friday as the World Bank (WB) signed agreements worth US$430 million with various central and state agencies. However, with major part of MUTP-II-A involving improvement of only travel infrastructure for the rail network, commuters in the city will continue to face their share of problems —crowded bridges, congested platforms, etc.

While accepting that there is no specific provision for augmentation of platforms, foot over bridges (FoB), and other ground infrastructure, WB senior urban transport specialist and project team leader Hubert Nove Josserand said there is some amount reserved for providing technical assistance (TA) in the overall project cost. “The project has a bracket of Rs62 crore for technical assistance, which can be utilised to work out ways and means of improving the platforms,” said Josserand.

PC Sehgal, managing director, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), however, said that station improvement was outside his agency’s scope of work. “Our basic objective is to get more number of rakes. Also, the DC to AC conversion of lines will help improve the train traffic, which will naturally result in better commute for the suburban passengers,” said Sehgal, adding that platform and FoB construction requires huge funds and those can be provided only by the railway ministry.

According to Shashikant Limaye, who has formerly worked the Western Railways, only adding rakes is not the solution for augmentation of the suburban rail system. “There has not been a single addition in FoBs on central and western routes. Smaller stations, which are getting more footfalls, are heavily crowded during peak hours. If they continue to add rakes to the existing setup, the nightmare for commuters will never end,” said Limaye.

Limaye added that the headway time between two trains also needs to be reduced. “If we reduce time between the arrival and departure of each local, commuter clearance time will also improve,” said Limaye.

we need some pics.
cc-nikhil
http://a.imageshack.us/img256/9690/mumbaiwesternlocal.jpg (http://img256.imageshack.us/i/mumbaiwesternlocal.jpg/)

Looks like near Charni Road station.

yes it is near charni road station.

Emergency motormen to counter WR strikes

Virat A Singh virat.singh@timesgroup.com
Mumbai Mirror 5-08-2010

For more than a decade,a car shed supervisor at Mumbai Central station slogged to ensure the trains were in proper condition to withstand the daily grind.However,for the past many days,he,and many other employees of Western Railway (WR),are learning to drive local trains on suburban route between Churchgate and Virar.

This is the result of WR authorities decision to no longer remain on the backfoot if motormen strike work again.They have createdsubstitute force of 150-strong,which will drive trains when motormen strike work and in times of other emergencies.Training them are those drivers who didnt join the May 3-4 motormens strike.

The WR officials said the emergency force is an amalgamation of men across departments.Car shed supervisory staff,men from the Mainline Electric Multiple Unit (MEMU) trains that run on the suburban mainline routes like Valsad-Vadodara in Gujarat and other departments are trained to drive local trains.A senior official involved in the training said most of the men have technical knowledge about driving a train and all they need is practice,and route learning.The official said,On the Mumbai suburban train route,signals and route diversions are the most important aspects to be understood.We give driving lessons during night right through dawn,between 11 pm and 4 am.

Post-training,the emergency force will be given certificates which would legalise them driving local trains,but only during emegencies.

Western Railways chief public relation officer,Shyam Sunder Gupta confirmed the development.He said,While we do not anticipate any strike in the immediate future,we decided to provide training to our men well-versed in the running of the local trains.

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=6&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=MMIR&mydateHid=05-08-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=MM

we need some pics.
cc-nikhil
http://a.imageshack.us/img256/9690/mumbaiwesternlocal.jpg (http://img256.imageshack.us/i/mumbaiwesternlocal.jpg/)

must be nightmarish for those people to live on the lower floors. that train literally passes through their backyards

n every 2-3 min on single line....

must be nightmarish for those people to live on the lower floors. that train literally passes through their backyards

First it was the suburban trains and now its going to be the Metro.

world class central railway..... ghatkopar station
http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab184/kalabandar/India%202010/Mumbai/Ghatkopar/P1020596.jpg

sorry abt quality.. that girl you see in the photo was giving me dirty looks :|

world class central railway..... ghatkopar station
http://i862.photobucket.com/albums/ab184/kalabandar/India%202010/Mumbai/Ghatkopar/P1020596.jpg

sorry abt quality.. that girl you see in the photo was giving me dirty looks :|

:lol::lol:

In the words of sashi tharoor cattle class

Fantastic.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Metro-may-merge-with-suburban-rail-network/articleshow/6284368.cms)

Metro may merge with suburban rail network

Mumbai: The Metro and suburban railway network (elevated corridor) may be merged between Mahalaxmi and Churchgate stations. If that happens, Mumbai will become the first city in the country to boast of such a merger.

Senior officials of the Western Railway (WR) told TOI that they were looking at four options as there is no space for the proposed Churchgate-Virar elevated rail corridor after Mahalaxmi. One of the options being looked into is the termination of the corridor at Mahalaxmi station itself. Another way to fix the problem would be to connect the elevated corridor to the Metro line between Mahalaxmi and Churchgate stations. Officials are also looking at constructing the elevated corridor via Lamington Road and terminating it at Aaykar Bhavan (income tax building). Acquisition of land to allow the corridor to pass is also being considered.

Chief administrative officer (construction) Subodh Jain told TOI that two of the four options-acquisition of land and construction of the elevated corridor via Lamington Road up to Aaykar Bhavan-have slim chances of materialising. "Acquiring land in south Mumbai is a problem as most of the buildings are occupied by tenants. Both these options are not feasible," Jain said.

"We would need just 8-10 m on the east side between Grant Road and Charni Road stations, but that would be next to impossible," he said.

Jain said that a more feasible option would be to terminate the elevated corridor at Mahalaxmi. "But transport experts aren't very keen on this option as they want seamless travel. Also, if people come out on to the road, there will be congestion at Mahalaxmi," Jain said.

So that leaves only the merger option. If the elevated corridor is connected to the Metro planned between Regal Cinema and Bandra, then commuters would have to switch over.

"The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), which is implementing the Metro project, and the state government have consented to our plan to connect the suburban railway network with Metro," said Jain. "However, this option would be very expensive and commuters would have to change trains. This may push them to cab the distance," he added.

Jain said that they need to finalise the plan by December, following which it would be sent to the railway board (RB) for approval. and send it to the Railway Board.

Meanwhile, the section between Santa Cruz and Andheri will be on surface. "A month ago, the stake holders, in principle, agreed to rehabilitate people in some sections as WR has land on the east side," said Jain.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Thane-station-a-mess-as-CR-fails-to-appoint-cleaning-services/articleshow/6245655.cms)
Thane station a mess as CR fails to appoint cleaning services

THANE: Lakhs of commuters at Thane railway station have been putting up with the stench caused by dirty platforms, overflowing bins and unclean tracks as the Central Railway (CR) administration failed to appoint janitor services for clean-up operations.

The station area, which includes 11 platforms, tracks, two foot-overbridges, stairways and parking slots, are a mess as the cleaning operations are being conducted by sweepers brought on a temporary basis last week.

The station manager has been flooded with complaints about the appalling conditions as CR sweepers have failed to ensure basic standards of cleanliness on the premises.

"We have shown enough patience despite inadequate infrastructure and lack of planning at Thane station. However, for the last one week, we are suffering the stench and the sight of unclean bins,'' said Ramchandra Karve, secretary of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.

CR officials, on condition of anonymity, told TOI that Thane station has been neglected as top CR officials in Mumbai failed to complete the tendering process and haven't yet awarded the contract for private janitor services after the expiry of a earlier contract awarded to a Mumbai-based firm, Sanjay Maintenance Service (SMS).

"The SMS personnel used to clean with mechanised tools. In fact, Thane station even bagged the CR general manager's prize last year for being one of the cleanest stations,'' Karve added.

SMS had a two-year contract with CR, which expired in May this year. "We requested them (SMS) to continue with the services for another three months till fresh bids were floated and a new contractor was appointed. They obliged and worked till the second week of July. But our officials are still to finalise the contractor for the cleaning services at Thane,'' an official said.

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/12-coach-train-service-for-Thane-Panvel-route/Article1-584088.aspx)
12-coach train service for Thane-Panvel route

The Central Railway (CR) is set to introduce a 12-coach train service, six years after it first connected train services between Thane and Vashi, with 9-coach trains. Central Railway will convert six of its eleven 9-coach trains into 12-coach trains after extending the platforms on the Trans Harbour line of Thane-Turbhe-Vashi-Panvel.

This would mean that the number of services connecting Panvel, which is the most likely location for the second airport, will increase by more than 100 services everyday.

Currently Central Railway is running 208 train services on this stretch.

This would augment the carrying capacity by more than 10 per cent, which is being used by around two lakh commuters everyday.

The rail traffic on this stretch is not much and so the CR authorities expect each train to run 20 services per day in order to support the increasing number of commuters in Navi Mumbai and Panvel.

A senior CR official said, "The general manager of CR, R.N. Verma might flag-off the 12-coach trains, though the dates are yet to be ascertained."

12-coach trains have been having trial runs since November 2008 between Thane and Vashi.

Ladies special trains are also part of new services introduced on the Trans Harbour line.

These trains however will run as general services on Sundays and holidays.

The CR has converted the 9-coach trains into 12-coach, after disengaging 3 coaches from the old red-and-white trains running on the main line, and adding it to those plying on the Trans Harbour.

"We are aiming to start the 12-coach train services by this month," said S. Mudgerikar, chief PRO of Central Railway.

The CR has meanwhile started procuring additional new-age trains from the last batch of 35-trains under the MUTP phase-I to operate on the main line.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Thane-station-a-mess-as-CR-fails-to-appoint-cleaning-services/articleshow/6245655.cms)
Thane station a mess as CR fails to appoint cleaning services



"The SMS personnel used to clean with mechanised tools. In fact, Thane station even bagged the CR general manager's prize last year for being one of the cleanest stations,'' Karve added.

SMS had a two-year contract with CR, which expired in May this year. "We requested them (SMS) to continue with the services for another three months till fresh bids were floated and a new contractor was appointed. They obliged and worked till the second week of July. But our officials are still to finalise the contractor for the cleaning services at Thane,'' an official said.

what more they want from sms? they should have given contract to sms. :bash:

We need a railway minister from Maharashtra.

or get rid of the railway ministry all together!!!!!

Mumbai Suburban Central Railway Timetable (http://centralrailwayonline.com/cr/cr/mumbai/commercial/Sub_Time_Table.pdf)

Western Railway Local Time Table
(http://www.wr.indianrail.gov.in/mysite3/index.htm)

SIFY (http://sify.com/news/world-bank-approves-430-mn-loan-for-mumbai-rail-project-news-national-kitouehabab.html)
The World Bank has approved a $430 million loan to Indian Railways for part funding of its Mumbai Urban Transport Project II (MUTP II), aimed at improving transport in and around the metropolis, the Lok Sabha was told Thursday.

In response to a question, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa also said that the project comprises various components. These include laying tracks between Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminal and Kurla, besides those between Thane and Diva and Mumbai Central and Borivali.


The other components include extension of the Harbour Line from Andheri to Goregaon, alteration of electrical systems, manufacturing and procurement of electrical multiple units as well as technical and institutional strengthening studies.


Another important component of the project, to be completed by 2014-15, is resettlement and rehabilitation of project-affected households besides improvement of stations and building infrastructure for regulating access to them.


While the World Bank loan will be used for part funding of the project, a part will also be funded jointly by the railway ministry and the state government, the minister said.

$430M loan is a lot of money for the babus.

$430M loan is a lot of money for the babus.

They should perhaps ask IR to build one of the lines with this money...mebbe the short Prabhadevi - Sewri line...$430 million should be more than enough

Source (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/New-rakes-promise-smoother-WR-ride/articleshow/6448507.cms)
New rakes promise smoother WR ride
Roana Maria Costa, TNN, Aug 28, 2010, 04.26am IST

MUMBAI: Western Railway (WR) appears to be getting a bigger and better deal when it comes to the new Siemens-MRVC rakes.

In the past as well, WR got the first new MRVC-Siemens rake when it reached the city in 2007 and subsequently a large number of trains under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase I (MUTP-I). And now, the first rake with bolster-less suspension scheduled to chug in the city in October will again go to WR. This rake's lower riding index would be easier on the commuter — and change the way Mumbai rides the local forever.

If rail officials are to be believed, the commute on Mumbai's lifeline would be so smooth that water wouldn't fall out of a glass filled till the brim.

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) managing director P C Sehgal said, "There was a saving of Rs 100 crores from the World Bank rake procurement fund, which was used to procure the new bogie assembly.''

"It has taken us six years to introduce these bogies. The total cost of getting 108 bogies or 54 bogies, which would be fit on four trains, is Rs 60 crores. Four rakes with this new suspension would come during MUTP-I," said Sehgal.

While the DC-powered old rakes had spring suspension, they used to vibrate they could not take the load during peak hours. The new Siemens-MRVC rakes have pneumatic suspension. "According to studies, riding with pneumatic suspension is 30% better as when the load increases, more air is pumped in and the ride is made smoother," he said. The current purple and white rakes have a riding index of 3.75-4, which will reduce to less than 3 with the new bolster-less bogies.

Eighteen bolster-less bogies from Siemens, Austria had already reached the Integral Coach Factory ( ICF) Chennai. Sehgal said that old rakes had bogies, which could not keep up to the per coach passenger load and would see breakage of parts and also limited speed potential. "The rake will reach the city by October; the train will subject to several trials like riding index and oscillation."

Sehgal said no decision has been taken as yet if the bogies would be used on rakes got under MUTP-II, "However, if successful, similar bogies would be used for rakes being procured under MUTP-II."

If rail officials are to be believed, the commute on Mumbai's lifeline would be so smooth that water wouldn't fall out of a glass filled till the brim.

:lol:

who thinks of this stuff? genius

of course the suspension might not lead to a spill. but inhuman (actually even worse than cattle) conditions of travel would ensure your glass will be more empty than full

^^

I like that phrase: Inhuman condition. Perfectly describes Mumbai's traveling adventures.

Posting some old news about Matheren Funicular Railway as it was not posted any where and posting it here as Matheran is part of MMR.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Funicular-railway-on-the-cards-to-take-you-to-Matheran/articleshow/5846573.cms)

Funicular railway on the cards to take you to Matheran

MUMBAI: Thousands of Mumbaikars who visit Matheran regularly will be glad to know that the plans for setting up a funicular railway to help tourist get to the hill station have taken off. A funicular railway is an electricity-powered cable path on rails that takes people up a slope.

MMRDA officials in charge of the Rs 67-crore project said that detailed technical plans drawn up by consultant RITES are ready and they will be going in for the bidding process in the next two months. After the company is decided, the project should be ready in 24 months, officials said.

The transport system when ready will take tourists from Matheran mountain near Dodhani village to Maillot Spring Point, near Sunset Point, in the western section of the town, a distance of 1.25 km.

Motorised vehicles are not allowed inside Matheran which leaves tourist with only two modes of transport from Neral to the hill station. The first is a heritage mini train which takes about two hours. Incidentally, it remains closed during the rainy season.

The second option is to drive down the road route from Neral which is a 9 km of hilly terrain to Dasturi Point. It takes about 30 minutes and then there is a 3-km walk which takes about 45 minutes. The new funicular railway will make this trip easier, particularly for senior citizens and children.

MMRDA officials said that RITES has drawn up a plan with two cars going up and down. It will have a carrying capacity of 600 persons per hour per direction and will have low running costs and easy maintenance.

Each passenger coach will have a capacity of carrying 60 commuters and the suggested price per passenger is Rs 300 per adult and Rs 150 for children.

While putting up the system itself will cost Rs 67 crore, the whole project— which includes constructing approach roads—will add up to a whopping Rs 100 crore.

MMRDA officials said the railway system can be used for carrying goods and material during night time and during off-season months.

Source (http://findarticles.com/p/news-articles/dna-sunday-mumbai/mi_8112/is_20100613/visit-matheran-funicular-rail/ai_n54063420/)

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to start funicular railway (cable train) from Panvel to Matheran to popularise the hill station.

It will be India's first funicular train. MMRDA commissioner Ratnakar Gaikwad said the authority Rites Ltd, appointed as the consultant for the project, has already submitted the feasibility study.

"The detailed project report too would be made by Rites, which is estimated to cost about Rs200 crore," Gaikwad added.

At present, tourists catch the toy train from Neral to reach Matheran. Some even drive down Karjat and then reach Neral, from where again they take the toy train.

"If access to the hill station was provided via Panvel, not only will it cut down the travel time by half, but also result in the overall development of the surrounding places," said Gaikwad.

This train will be operated with the help of cables. Gaikwad said as Panvel is the centre point for both Mumbai and Pune, the train will be also useful for both the cities.

Matheran, located at an elevation of 2,625 ft above sea level. It was developed by the British as a popular tourist resort to escape from the heat and sultry climate of Mumbai.

mumbai railways needs to really upgrade...first they need to cleans the stations and the tracks. then they need to put automatic doors in trains(whihc wont happen anytime soon), its endless and useless to talk about. take an example form new york or sydney at least. itll be 2030 when its somewhere neat world-class. the newest upgrade of trains doesnt even have automatic doors?:down:

Its not happening boss, not at least in the near future.

I remember reading 3-4 years back how a similar plan was proposed for such a rail for Malangad Shrine near Kalyan.
Need i mention that i also clearly remember reading that the local MLA and a team of babus from the Maharashtra Tourism Dept had made a trip abroad to "study" the working of the funicular train system and the plan was announced based on recommendation of this team.

Source (http://mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=CITY%20-%20Briefs&sectid=35&contentid=20100811201008111136262663035b00a)
The Project Cost Has Almost Tripled From Rs 500 Cr In 1994 To Rs 1400 Cr This Year. The Agreement Is Likely To Be Signed Next Week
Nerul: Soon work on Nerul-Seawoods-Uran rail corridor project will be underway, as railways and Cidco resolved their disputes and will soon sign a tripartite agreement. According to B B Mehta, Cidco's additional chief engineer (railway projects), "We have given all the documents required by railways and now they are reviewing and consulting their legal department for the final nod.

From our side, we have shown full cooperation for the project and will continue to do so."The cost of the project estimated to be around Rs 500 crore in 1994, has now tripled leaving Cidco worried. K K Sharma, chief administrative officer (Constructions) from Central Railways says, "The project cost at present is about Rs 1,400 crore but funds are not an issue for us. The project got delayed because Cidco was looking for other options."On Monday, there was a meeting among senior railway officials where it was decided that the agreement should be inked within a week or two.

Sharma confirmed that minor issues are pending with finance and legal department, which should get resolved soon. He also said that the share of railways in the project remains same. The Cidco is to bear 2/3 and the Railways 1/3 of the total cost.

Though Cidco had earlier decided to withdraw the project, but later decided to go ahead with the same. For the past few months, both parties are saying that an agreement is on the cards, but so far, it's only a verbal commitment. "We can start work only if there is a signed agreement. Till then we are also helpless," said Mehta.

Although Cidco has plans of constructing metro rail route along this corridor, they have given the go-ahead to the suburban rail route as well. The project will provide the much-needed connectivity to these developing nodes and offer commuters a viable choice to make commuting easier. At present, commuters have to travel to Panvel to board a train to Uran.

As per old plan, the date to start the project was of June - July in 1997. Road over bridges were expected to be six, but now it will be only four, as two have been converted in Road Under Bridges (RUB). Apart from this, RUB in this route is going to be 15, earlier it was supposed to be 13 and Track under bridge remains one. Major bridges on this route are four and total number of rakes at present will be 11.

There will be two level crossings and out of 15 road-under-bridges. The Nerul - Uran Rail track of 27 kilometers is currently under construction. The proposed railway stations and the distances are as follows: From Seawoods station (1.38 km), Sagar Sangam (3.23 km), Targhar (5.81 km), Bamandongri (7.55 km), Kharkopar (9.55 km), Gavan (11.85 km), Ranjanpada (15.90 km), Nhava-Sheva (19.13 km), Dronagiri (20.09 km), and Uran (23.65 km).

So far, both railways and Cidco have spent Rs 106 crore on the project. By 2012, the project was expected to be completed. A train journey between Uran and CST is expected to take an average of one hour and 45 minutes. The stretch will have 10 railway stations from Seawoods to Uran. The project was approved in 1996-97 at an estimated cost of Rs 495.44 crore. The railway was to share Rs 163.49 crore, while Cidco's share was Rs 331.95 crore

Source (http://mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=CITY%20-%20Briefs&sectid=35&contentid=2010082120100825153247442fdf74af3)
The three months long stalemate over the highly publicised Foot over Bridge (FOB) project of the Central Railway (CR) at the Thane railway station has finally come to an end. The CR will take up the task with funds from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and complete the project within the next one and half years.

According to the information, the MMRDA had sent a letter to Mulchand Chauhan, the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Central Railway a few days back. The state owned authority has claimed that its contractor was unable to carry out the mega project in the station premises due to a series of troubles including some posed by the CR itself. The MMRDA called upon the CR to complete the work.

Earlier, the MMRDA had taken up the task on its own. The authority planned to provide two FOBs inside the station premises. The project was to cost around `40 crore. The short listed contractor even began carrying out the work of laying the foundation for one of the FOB on platform no. 10 some six months ago.

The work could not proceed any further. The CR has admitted to the receipt of the letter from the MMRDA. The railway authorities, however, claim that they are yet to receive the funds of `40 crore from the state body. It will be only after the receipt of the project cost that the railway administration will commence the stalled process on its own.

The station has only two FOBs that are hardly ten feet wide. The facilities, one each on north and south side are in existence since past 30 years. At that time the station used to witness commuter passage of just around 50,000 on the two bridges. The number has risen to more than 4.5 lakh and is still growing, thanks to the expansion of the Thane-Turbhe rail link.

In 1980, there were hardly around 500 local and long distance trains halting at the station. The number of trains halting at the station has now reached around 1,500 and all the trains are full to capacity and beyond. Out of this almost 1,300 are local trains alone that run on the CR main line as well as trans harbour link. The passage of these trains as well as the large member of commuters shakes up the FOBs violently sometimes.

The MMRDA decided to undertake the project to provide a third FOB of around 16 metres wide connecting from Platform no. 2 to 10 in the interest of the commuters. The state authority also proposed to widen one of the two existing FOBs with a similar project. The proposals were aimed at giving more walking spaces and clearance areas to the commuters

1.5 years to complete 1 FOB :bash:

Soon work on Nerul-Seawoods-Uran rail corridor project will be underway, as railways and Cidco resolved their disputes and will soon sign a tripartite agreement.

The Nerul - Uran Rail track of 27 kilometers is currently under construction.

First it says it work will start soon, then it says it is u/c ??

Although Cidco has plans of constructing metro rail route along this corridor, they have given the go-ahead to the suburban rail route as well.

Why at all they need two rail systems parallel to each other ?

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Separate-body-to-run-city-trains/Article1-594974.aspx)
Let Mumbai’s suburban rail network — used by more than 70 lakh commuters every day, the highest in India — be managed by a separate entity instead of the Western and the Central railways. The Mumbai Railway Passenger Association and Members of Parliament (MP) met officials from the Railway Board in Delhi two weeks ago and made this request while submitting a charter of demands.

An independent body will be able to better ensure that the day-to-day working of the local trains, their punctuality and quality of services are not get affected.

Currently, both the Central and Western railways have to balance the functioning of local as well as long-distance trains.

“The suburban train services are severely congested. So we have asked the Railway Board to study the feasibility of having a separate body to manage the day-to-day working of the suburban rail system,” said MP Supriya Sule, who headed this delegation.

The charter — a copy of which is with Hindustan Times — states that as both the divisions, headquartered in Mumbai, have to connect important cities and industrial establishments through long-distance trains, they are busy focusing on the long-distance network. “Both CR and WR have to spend a major portion of their time attending to inter-city problems. This leaves hardly any time for the divisions to pay the required attention to the suburban network,” said Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Railway Passenger Association.

“An independent zone for suburban railways will help look after the interests of commuters effectively, judiciously and efficiently.”

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) was formed in 1999 for the smooth handling of all rail projects on the suburban network and to ease the burden on the WR and CR. However, the MRVC is involved only till the implementation of the projects.

“The difficulty is that both the suburban and long-distance trains run on the same line in Mumbai. Until the suburban lines are segregated through additional lines meant for outstation trains, there is no sense in having a separate body,” said a senior railway official, on condition of anonymity.

Once the lines are segregated, railway authorities will be able to run more services and handle technical problems in the system more efficiently. It will also reduce the number of delays and cancellations.

hmm great news,,, hope they approve it... good work b2c keep posting news..... :)

WTF

I thought the Uran line was metro?

wtf is wrong with CIDCO, they keep flip flopping between IR and a metro for the Uran line.

and instead of all these fancy shamncy articles and what not. Just add a fast line to the harbour like. Thats the most important project.

After that add tracks 5-6 between Kalayan and CST.

Extend harbour line to Borivali.


Forget about other projects and let the Mumbai metro suck in extra capacity.

WTF

I thought the Uran line was metro?

wtf is wrong with CIDCO, they keep flip flopping between IR and a metro for the Uran line.

and instead of all these fancy shamncy articles and what not. Just add a fast line to the harbour like. Thats the most important project.

After that add tracks 5-6 between Kalayan and CST.

Extend harbour line to Borivali.


Forget about other projects and let the Mumbai metro suck in extra capacity.


" Give me space here, even I can do it! And dont think of making anything elevated/underground, its india."

Locals keep pace with times
Roana Maria Costa | TNN


Mumbai: Slow but steady wins the race and in this case, the race is against time on Mumbai locals.
About a decade ago, in 1997, a CST-Kalyan fast local took 72 minutes to complete the 60-km stretch, but now, the same distance is covered in 10 minutes less time. On Harbour Line, the travel time between Panvel and CST used to be 96 minutes but now, it has come down by nearly 20 minutes, in spite of the addition of two new stations on the way. Every new station adds two minutes to travel time as a train halts there for 30 seconds and another 1.30 minutes are needed for acceleration and deceleration.
In about two years, it would take even less time on the Central Railway (CR), said an official, after the power distribution system of its entire suburban section is changed from direct current (DC) of 1,500 volt to alternating current (AC) of 25,000 volt. Though the DC-AC conversion—the deadline for the shift on the CR’s suburban section has been slated for December, 2012—is the main reason for the decrease in travel time, there are other factors contributing to it as well. Change of wooden sleepers to the more sturdier concrete ones, welding of rails, removal of permanent speed restrictions and introduction of the new rakes are a few of them.
Though the DC-AC shift will be completed in 2012, CR commuters do not have to wait till then for a faster ride as the conversion has already been implemented in certain sections. Stations beyond Kalyan have been powered by AC traction as a result of which, the travel time from Kalyan to Kasara has reduced from 90 minutes to 75 minutes, to Karjat from 61 minutes to 7 minutes and to Khopoli, there has been a drop in three minutes.
CR’s chief public relations officer S C Mudgerikar told TOI that hundreds of kilometres on tracks had been provided with an ecological and more sustainable makeover. “The sleepers on tracks from CST to Kasara (120 km), to Khopoli (115 km), to Panvel (60 km) and the stretch from Wadala to Andheri have all be changed to concrete ones,’’ said Mudgerikar. This way, wood is being saved and the sleepers have become sturdier.
He added that remodelling of the yards at CST and Kalyan—two vital terminals—had also led to speedier rolling in and out of trains that obviously, reduced travel time; realignment of signals had contributed to higher train frequencies and better inter-section clearances that, again, cut down on time.
And last, but definitely not the least, are the new rakes that are saving commuters’ valuable time on tracks. The high-tech trains can run at a maximum speed of 100 kmph—the old ones’ speed is 80 kmph—and so take less time to cover the same distance.

http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Repository/TOIM/2010/09/06/5/Img/Pc0051400.jpg

wow great news B2C, thanks for posting :cheers:

Pace with times, a thing to laugh at.

Kalyan-CST must be maximum 30-35 mins. Not a castle in air but a reality unless people make themselves realize it.

Our railways are still an era old. Simple measures are needed to help the city decongest.

1. Bridge Kanjur-Marg and Kopar Khairane for rail and road both.

2. Tunnel the big hillock to connect Powait and Vikroli.

3. Connect Mulund/thane and Borivali by train.

4. Introduce fact trains to Kurla, Dadar and Thane from the far suburbs of mainline-Central rail.

5. Tunnel the Mumbra hill and make connection to New Mumbai for rail and road both.

Took the Western line from Dadar to Churchgate a few days ago to meet a friend. I would like to share the pictures I took with you all. The rack was one of the old ones. It being a sunday and a bright day, I had the opportunity, and the space, to click photos!

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7466/img5856w.jpg

http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/3861/img5860x.jpg

http://img521.imageshack.us/img521/2139/img5861x.jpg

http://img706.imageshack.us/img706/5496/img5863l.jpg

http://img230.imageshack.us/img230/421/img5865.jpg

http://img203.imageshack.us/img203/2431/img5866h.jpg

some more later. Right now I really feel like having an ice cream.

Nice pics ...Surely u traveled in the Old train right! Looks so 19th centuryish...wooden phatta seats with yellow dirty interiors and stickers n posters...:ohno:

The last pic though shows the new set on adjacent track..Will they replace all the train sets with new ones soon??

Also Do they announce the total numbers of daily commuters using the system like in Metro Trains ?? Those pics clearly show the countless Load n pressure on the Locals..

kronik if possible click new rake pics... it will good to see comparison :)

The good old "STICK NO BILLS" policy.

The good old "STICK NO BILLS" policy.

Ustaad Baba Raza Bangali

kronik if possible click new rake pics... it will good to see comparison :)

I did click some pictures of the new rakes passing by, but i'll definitely try to travel in one of them in the near future.

Next batch of new-age trains to be faster

The next batch of new-age train coaches that will arrive in the city from 2011 onwards will be much faster with better ventilation facilities. The Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) – the research wing of the Indian Railways – has promised an enhanced version of local trains for the suburban section. They will develop newer technical specifications for the coaches under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase-II.
“The specifications for the electrics broadly envisage a higher speed of 110 kmph and incorporates forced ventilation of air inside the coaches to reduce carbon dioxide levels thereby increasing passenger comfort,” said A.K. Mathur, executive director (PR), RDSO.

The new violet-white trains run at 100 kmph, while old trains can run at a maximum of 80 kmph. Moreover, the conversion of 1500 volts Direct Current to 25000 volts Alternating Current would supplement the speed of trains.

The vents on top of the trains would have wider shafts to ensure more forced ventilation of fresh air into the coaches.

The coaches will also be provided with internal LED display of destination for commuters. The motorman’s cabin too would be ergonomically designed with better seats and easy accessibilities of various control knobs.

The RDSO has signed a memorandum of understanding with Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for the same in May.

http://www.hindustantimes.com/Next-batch-of-new-age-trains-to-be-faster/Article1-597508.aspx

Can they stop adding words like "new age" and other words like world class, SOTA, swanky, and so on in the newspaper articles.

^^^^
In India often the terms swanky,world-class,new age,excellent,SOTA,etc,etc are over hyped by politicians.........that is in India world class means 3 class....There is no world class in REAL SENSE as 4 now:bash::bash:

Churchgate station
http://img267.imageshack.us/img267/5615/dsc00250hw.jpg (http://img267.imageshack.us/i/dsc00250hw.jpg/)
http://img205.imageshack.us/img205/83/dsc00251bi.jpg (http://img205.imageshack.us/i/dsc00251bi.jpg/)
http://img191.imageshack.us/img191/6351/dsc00256c.jpg (http://img191.imageshack.us/i/dsc00256c.jpg/)
[IMG]http://img96.imageshack.us/img96/9656/dsc00257yx.jpg (http://img96.imageshack.us/i/dsc00257yx.jpg/)

I like it WORLD CLASS + SWANKY = 3 rd CLASS.:banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana::banana:

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/mumbai/World-class-Thane-station-proposal-gets-green-signal/Article1-600325.aspx)
Thane’s dream of housing a world-class railway station will soon become a reality. “We have been asking for world-class development of the station for several years. The Central Railway (CR) has finally agreed to it,” said Thane MP Sanjeev Naik, a day after he met Z.A. Siddiqui, chief commercial manager of Indian Railway Traffic Service. “A technical and feasibility survey needs to be done, which will cost Rs 5-6 crore. It will take a year to complete the survey after which work will actually begin. The project will be implemented on a public-private partnership basis,” he added.

CR will set up a passenger reservation counter at the district office if space for queues are provided by the zilla parishad.

We should beat the journalist up next time they use the word World Class like they have been all over the world to know how a world class or state of the art system looks like. The standards of a modernized building according to them is a world class, which might be a third class compared to other "real world class" buildings.

those are not words used by journalists, they are used by politicians/bureaucrats which then get quoted/copied into the article

Man, they think they visit a few countries around on taxpayers' money, then they know what a world class is. Fine if they know it, then implement it according to those standards. I am not talking about railways (because changing the current railway scenario is almost impossible unless the commuters' number becomes smaller), but generally speaking.

copyright: Kronik

http://img687.imageshack.us/img687/4865/img5865y.jpg

http://img84.imageshack.us/img84/4228/img5870m.jpg

http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3566/img5876e.jpg

http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/3859/img5878fu.jpg

http://img828.imageshack.us/img828/6195/img5880g.jpg

http://img705.imageshack.us/img705/5236/img5882s.jpg

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/WR-to-start-work-on-6th-line/Article1-601557.aspx)
In the next three months, the Western Railway will start work on the additional sixth line between Borivli and Mumbai Central stations. This is part of the Rs 5,300-crore second phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), which aims to improve the public transport situation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Presently WR has four lines between Churchgate and Mahim for suburban trains, while the fifth line for long-distance trains is between Mahalaxmi and Mahim stations.

With only outstation trains expected to ply on the additional fifth and sixth lines, suburban local trains will not be forced to halt at stations or in between signals waiting for a long-distance train to pass, thus saving time.

WR authorities have called for tenders for the basic work between Borivli and Bandra Terminus in the first stage.

This has been further sub-divided into simultaneous work to be carried out between Borivli and Andheri stations and Bandra Terminus and Andheri station.

"In the first stage, we will connect the tracks connecting Bandra Terminus with the sixth line. This will at least allow all long-distance trains originating from Bandra Terminus to run on the segregated line, thus improving movement of suburban trains beyond Khar towards the north," said a WR official, on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to talk to the media.

Work is expected to begin at an initial cost of around Rs 78 crore.

This would include providing new platforms and extending existing ones at stations where long-distance trains halt, extending foot overbridges, constructing bridges carrying utility pipelines above and beneath the tracks, create side drains and retaining walls, and building roads under bridges and subways.

The authorities also need to consider demolition of slums and buildings that are in the way of the alignment, rehabilitate the residents and procure land for the project, which the officials feel are the most daunting tasks.

"We cannot set a deadline for the project yet, until these practical problems of rehabilitating and procuring land are taken care of," added the WR official.

The MUTP Phase-II, in which 11 different works would be implemented, is expected to be complete by 2014.

On July 23, the World Bank signed an agreement for MUTP Phase-II with the state government and Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation to provide a loan of Rs 1,910 crore

Found this online..

It seems quite different from the regular Mumbai Local Rakes or is it just due 2 poor paint job...Old Wine in New Bottle types.....Which ones r these neways n what line do they ply..ne1??:nuts:

http://newstrack.outlookindia.com/images/trains_mumbai_20090204.jpg

Also are there any plans to introduce Fully A/c Local Trains there sometime in future ??:nuts:

Found this online..

It seems quite different from the regular Mumbai Local Rakes or is it just due 2 poor paint job...Old Wine in New Bottle types.....Which ones r these neways n what line do they ply..ne1??:nuts:

http://newstrack.outlookindia.com/images/trains_mumbai_20090204.jpg

Also are there any plans to introduce Fully A/c Local Trains there sometime in future ??:nuts:

Just a new paint job/design. Look at the pics that kronik posted above, same stuff. Lipstick on a pig.

To the mods

I have created a new thread to capture the dev activities on Matheran Funicular Railway . Why was it closed ? It is another project from MMRDA just like Mumbai Metro and Mumbai Monorail . I created that thread to track all the activities in one single thread . There are many activities come up on that project which can be lost under the piles of other projects , if it is not tracked through a single thread.

please do let me know

Can anybody please post some pics of the new Mumbai suburban trains, pressed into service last year.

Should have posted it with '?' mark....Typo.. ;)

You can edit the post if you need to make changes.

URGENTLY NEEDED::: Rail network in Mumbai area::

1. extend u/c VAG metro to chembur amar mahal and finally to CHembur naka.
2. 3rd and 4th line on CMBR-MNKD-Vashi route. (or a metro) with a changeover at (perhaps, sorry, Mankhurd).
3. Metro branch line JB nagar-MIDC-Marol check naka- Tungavillage-Powai-Vikhroli
4. Make ACfication till bandra terminus
5. Build 6th line betn BVI and ADH.
6. 7th and 8th line at Khar-matunga.
7. ACfication till LTT.

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Soon-trains-to-Panvel-could-start-from-Kurla/Article1-605002.aspx)
Commuters wanting to travel to Navi Mumbai along the Harbour line may soon have the option of taking a train that starts from Kurla. The rise in passenger traffic along the Harbour line that connects the island city to Navi Mumbai has forced the Central Railway (CR) to consider turning Kurla into a terminal station for Harbour line trains.

This means trains going to Navi Mumbai will start from and terminate at Kurla.

The CR will build an additional platform at Kurla for trains going up to Panvel.

This new platform, platform 9, is likely to be built next to platform 8, where trains coming from Navi Mumbai and heading towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) halt.

“We are sending a proposal to the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation to include this project in the Mumbai Urban Transport Project’s (MUTP) phase-II,” MC Chauhan, divisional railway manager of CR, said. The extension of trains to 12-coach rakes on the Harbour line is already part of MUTP II.

Railway officials say ticket sales at Kurla have increased, indicating that the number of passengers travelling to Navi Mumbai from here has gone up.

Future population projections also warrant additional services on the Harbour line because the number of passengers travelling along this line is expected to grow by 33 per cent in five years.

Commuters already find it tough to board trains from Kurla to CST or Panvel during peak hours.

Sources in the CR said the Centre may discourage these plans because the project will involve huge costs for creating infrastructure and changing and aligning tracks to connect them with the current line.

Sources in the CR said Kurla station had platforms 9 and 10 for the Harbour line but their use was discontinued in 1998.

“Train services starting from these two terminal lines would get sandwiched between the services running on fast tracks and on the Harbour line,” a senior CR officer said requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media. “That caused on the Harbour and main lines.”

Some of officials argue that Wadala station, which already has two additional lines with platforms, can be used as a terminal station instead of Kurla. The CR recently introduced 16 additional services beginning from Wadala.

Now, Central Railway wants harbour line expansion under mega transport project

Mumbai The state government has been suggesting the Railway Ministry, without much success, to include introduction of 12-coach trains on the harbour line of Central Railway (CR) in Phase II of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
Now, the CR has sought harbour line expansion in MUTP Phase II.

With the state government pressing for the proposed second airport at Navi Mumbai, railway services to the satellite city, at present provided by the CR harbour line, would be a key complementary project.

According to CR Divisional Railway Manager for Mumbai, Moolchand Chauhan, the CR plans to launch shuttle services between Kurla and Panvel. CR officials had earlier revealed plans to build an additional platform at Kurla. With the section between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Wadala congested, new trains can be introduced only from Kurla.

The division has written to the railway headquarters seeking that the project be included in the already sanctioned Phase II of MUTP. Chauhan added that the proposal sent to the headquarters has details of converting the entire CST-to-Mankhurd harbour line from Direct Current (DC) to Alternate Current (AC) traction. \"WR would soon convert the section from Borivali to Churchgate to AC. Since the harbour line train goes up to Andheri, we have to convert this section to AC,\" said Chauhan. This means harbour line commuters can travel in the relative comfort of the new generation Siemens rakes introduced as part of MUTP-I.

MUTP Phase II is a 100 per cent railway project with no road components. Pegged at around Rs 5,300 crore, it is to be executed by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC). Under the project, new rakes would be procured and the railways would work on laying the fifth and sixth lines between Thane and CST. The harbour line would be extended from Andheri to Goregaon.

Before the railway budget, the state government had written to the Railway Ministry about introducing 12-coach trains along the harbour line in Phase II. It did not receive a favourable response. \"Phase II has already been sanctioned and it is not possible to include additional work,\" said a senior MRVC official. CR officials, however, maintained the railways would persist with the demand, along with the state government.

Mumbai to receive 100th new generation suburban train (http://www.indiainfoline.com/Markets/News/Mumbai-to-receive-100th-New-Generation-suburban-train/4942159068)

saving of 35% in energy
wow..... :cheers:

Source (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_now-unique-national-id-numbers-for-mumbai-s-local-trains_1444427)
Now, unique national ID numbers for Mumbai’s local trains

The process of associating trains with their timings (1.40 Churchgate slow or 9.17 Virar fast) will soon become passé for Mumbai’s seven million commuters who use the locals every day.

In a first, the Indian Railways has decided to have a unique national identity for every local train on the basis of its route and feature so that it can be identified and tracked from anywhere in the country.

Top bosses in Delhi will also be able to monitor the punctuality of trains through this system.

The project will immensely benefit commuters as they would be able to track down their local by dialling the national train inquiry system, get SMS alerts and know about their punctuality apart from getting individual route numbers that suit them, just like BEST buses. It will also help train operations by tracking the movement of locals from a single source anywhere in the country and giving them priority over other trains.

“For suburban trains, the first among five digits will be the suburban code. The second digit will be either the zonal or the directional code. It will be followed by the train number,” Niraj Verma, director (coaching), railway board, said. “The actual process of suburban train numbering is expected to be a complex task. Zonal railways may adapt the framework to suit local needs and variations like the inclusion of 15-coach trains for Mumbai, etc.”

A detailed order has been dispatched by the railway board to all zonal railways, asking them to make the process effective from December 20. The first digit for Mumbai locals is 9 and for Kolkata 3. Chennai, Secunderabad and Delhi locals will have 4 as the first digit.

The second digit for Mumbai’s Western Railway (WR) trains will be between 0-4; for Central Railway locals it will be from 5-9.
So, suburban trains will be identified as 90XXX to 94XXX on WR and 95XXX to 99XXX on CR. Up and down directions will be reflected through odd and even numbers. Railway officials are finalising a foolproof plan, which will also account for future needs of the city like additional services and new routes.

How it will work
For CR: People must know whether the train is fast or slow and if it’s travelling on the main or harbour line. The new system will capture such segregation through numbers — fast trains in 95XXX series, slow locals travelling beyond Kalyan in 96XXX, those going south of Kalyan in 99XXX, harbour line ones in 97XXX series and the trans harbour ones as 98XXX. These numbers will be followed by unique digits assigned for directions and destinations.

For WR: The first digit is 9, second shall indicate the terminals and the other three numbers will reflect the starting/final destination. Thus, 0 has been assigned to all trains originating/terminating at Virar, 1 for Vasai Road and Bhayander, 2 for Borivli, 3 to terminals of Malad and Goregaon, and 4 for Andheri, Bandra and Mumbai Central.

Source (http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/mumbai-soon-locals-will-give-weather-updates-55616)

Mumbai: Soon, locals will give weather updates

Mumbai: You can keep yourself updated on city matters as you travel in the locals. The railway plans to experiment using the LED (light-emitting diode) scrollers inside the new coaches for multiple use, such as flashing weather updates and public service messages, and also putting them to commercial use.

At present, these scrollers indicate the approaching stations and other messages. If the trials undertaken by WR are successful, commuters will be able to see additional use of the scrollers.

The railways have various options to put them to public benefit by using them to inform commuters about traffic diversions and weather, and flash public service messages and advertisements.

"These scrollers can be put to use for much more than one can think of, and there are nearly 70 lakh eyeballs that would see them. It would be a great hit if they can also be put to commercial use," a senior divisional railway official said.

He added that the WR had taken trial runs with features such as weather updates and temperature readings. The railway had already added a few messages such as the one that promotes the railway smart card and warns against trespassing.

"If we intend to put them to commercial use and other such purposes, the technical functioning of these scrollers has to be of high quality in all seasons and we are working on it," he added.

The LED scrollers are a new addition to public transport in Mumbai and even the new BEST buses, funded by the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission, have such scrollers.

"Once we work on a policy, we can always alert commuters on public transport modes through messages and updates," another official said.

The new violet suburban trains have been bought under the Rs4,500-crore phase-I of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and introduced since 2007.

why do you need weather updates in Mumbai?

:del:

Coz when you get out of train, you will know its raining and you can take off/or your rain jacket off or evn put sunscreen while sitting in the train in case the weathers too hot.

:lol:

Coz when you get out of train, you will know its raining and you can take off/or your rain jacket off or evn put sunscreen while sitting in the train in case the weathers too hot.

hehehehe :lol::rofl:

Railway drive reduces track deaths in Mumbai

The number of fatal accidents on the Mumbai suburban railway network tracks has dropped by 493 in past two years. The fall in figures — from 2,603 in 2007 to 2,110 in 2009 — is attributed to the construction of concrete walls on both sides of the tracks by the railway administration.

In 2009, tracks in Kurla witnessed 259 fatalities (549 in 2007), Thane witnessed 197 (334), Borivli 284 (471) Kalyan 205 (347), and Vasai 180 (318), revealed a railway police officer.

TA Chavan, Mumbai railway police commissioner, said, “The railway administration has started constructing concrete walls on both sides of the tracks on a war-footing for the past two-and-a-half years to prevent people from trespassing.”

“We have carried out a sustained drive against trespassers since July 2004. We collected over Rs75.76 lakh as fine from 25,999 trespassers in 2009. Besides, 196 people were jailed. Our aim is not only to collect the fine, but also to save precious lives,” pointed out a senior RPF (Railway Protection Force) officer. He added that awareness programmes have been held at various stations to pass on the safety messages to commuters.

The WR started ‘Anmol Jeevan’ in February 2009. Under this drive, it conducted sessions in various schools in the western suburbs for two months to educate parents via their children about the hazards of crossing railway tracks.

“Two employees from the public relations department, with the help of NCC and NSS students, conducted 20-minute sessions that include lectures, displaying educational posters and statistics of deaths and injuries due to mishaps on tracks,” said CNK David, public relations officer (PRO) of Western Railway. He added that in a drive against the trespassers in 2009, the RPF had collected over Rs55.29 lakh as fine from 18,244 people. Besides, 414 people were jailed.

Srinivas Mudgerikar, chief PRO of Central Railway, said, “We have been constructing boundary walls on the both sides of the railway tracks for the past two and half years to block illegal entries and prevent people from trespassing. The boundary walls are seven-feet high and one-foot wide. More than 80% work of these walls has been completed.”

Mudgerikar also said that CR has been giving advertisements in various English and vernacular newspapers frequently narrating the hazards of crossing railway tracks.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_railway-drive-reduces-track-deaths-in-mumbai_1437120


finally common sense prevails. I am sure when they construct a wall 100% around the tracks the total yearly death rate will reduce to less than 1000.

This is what i am talking about. Common sense.

If mumbaikars played by the rules and used foot bridges the bulk of the deaths would stop.

Now to target those "heros" who hang out of trains even if there is space inside for the fun of it.

lol . yeah boundary wall ka bhi kuch use nahin hain .At dahisar they have broken these boundary walls and set up their shanties near the tracks. These people are useless.

lol . yeah boundary wall ka bhi kuch use nahin hain .At dahisar they have broken these boundary walls and set up their shanties near the tracks. These people are useless.

such people deserve to die.

I got no sympathy for them


At Mulund i can tell you that the wall is more than firm and in place.

anyways good to see overall death rate reducing sharply

I think if they get it below 1000 then they have done their job well with people's mentality

what is hilarious is they had their own eid and ganesh festival this time:lol:

Central Railway spent crores over 15 years to get alignment of tracks wrong

Published: Monday, Oct 4, 2010, 1:07 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

In a major goof-up in laying new tracks between Kurla and Thane, the Central Railway has got wrong the alignment of the new rails between Kanjurmarg and Bhandup stations and is doing the last-minute changes.

The tracks had been laid and welded, electric masts installed, the overhead electric wires put in place and activated with power, and the signalling system tested and completed. The lines had been electrified and linked up together. But then, the railway realised that something was wrong, and removed the tracks and began realigning them last week.

This will now force the railways to shift the electric masts, the overhead wires, the signalling system and all the technical apparatus to suit the new alignment.

The Rs166 crore Kurla-Thane projects is a part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-1 that is being monitored by the Prime Minister’s Office as one of the UPA government’s flagship programmes and is regularly reviewed by the PMO.

The work on building an 18-km rail line has been on for the past 15 years, and has been plagued with several problems, including encroachments. Earlier this year, the railways said the project deadline was March 2010. Then, it pushed it back to June, and now just a 10-km stretch between Vikhroli and Thane is set to open up, but the goof-up will now delay that too.

The realignment stretch between masts 26/2A and 26/3B will need to relocate at least two overhead wire masts from the foundation that span three tracks, a signal BND-S12 that had been activated and tested and a number of smaller structures.

When the railways realised the error, they got an excavator and levelled the land on the track’s east side and shifted the tracks. Now, the overhead wires will have to be shifted to match the new alignment. This will involve several departments, including civil, electric, signal and telecom and the construction department and loss of lakhs of rupees.

Railway officials said this minor realignment was required so that trains on the new track could run faster beyond 100kmph on this stretch. But they did not elaborate why this was not foreseen earlier.

SC Mudgerikar, chief spokesperson, Central Railway, said, “It is a minor realignment and will involve moving of just a few structures and will not delay the project.”

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/2318/104201030103pm.jpg

The plans ahead

As a part of larger city rail planning, the railway has plans to set up an additional rail corridor of two lines between Kurla and Kalyan stations. The new facilities will enable the railway to completely segregate outstation and suburban trains. While the section from Kalyan to Diva is complete, work on additional lines between Kurla to Thane and Thane to Diva is under progress now.

The Central Railway ferries about 37 lakh passengers every day. Once a suburban corridor is separated from the tracks that ferry mail, express and goods trains, the railway will not only be able to increase frequency of trains, but also run them more efficiently.

Once all these are ready, commuters will get the real benefit of four dedicated suburban railway tracks between Kurla and Kalyan. Work for CST-Kurla 5th and 6th line has also been approved under phase-II of the MUTP.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_central-railway-spent-crores-over-15-years-to-get-alignment-of-tracks-wrong_1447268

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/CM-to-railways-Focus-beyond-Vasai-Virar/Article1-609376.aspx)

CM to railways: Focus beyond Vasai-Virar

When it comes to the railways, the state government’s focus is firmly on expanding connectivity beyond the city’s limits by laying tracks across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). This, said Chief Minister Ashokrao Chavan as he marked the introduction of the city’s 101st new-age train at Sahyadri guesthouse, should be the railways’ focus.

The government wants the railways to concentrate on the belt beyond Vasai-Virar on the western route and extend the trans-harbour route connecting Navi Mumbai to the city under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase 3.

“There is tremendous potential in areas beyond Virar as many travel to Mumbai by train. We need to visualise development of these areas and formulate a common Development Control rule across MMR,” said Chavan.

The government wants the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) to speed up work on existing projects, take up new sections such as Virar-Vasai-Diva-Panvel and provide a fast corridor on the Harbour line.

“We should make up for the time lost in executing projects. Moreover, conditions in local trains should improve to make travel comfortable,” said Chavan.

Projects such as the Virar-Dahanu service haven’t started though work on it was completed eight months ago, Western Railway sources said on condition of anonymity as they are not authorised to speak to the media that they don’t have enough trains to run on this route.

All trains coming under MUTP Phase 1 were being used to add more services between Virar and Andheri.

The Thane-Kurla fifth and sixth lines for long-distance trains are set to open in the next two months after a wait of nearly 15 years.

The Thane-Bhandup stretch is expected to open soon while the Kurla-Bhandup stretch is expected to open in December.

“These projects are important for segregating suburban lines from the main line,” said JP Dange, state chief secretary.

The state government also wants the railways to ensure crowds inside trains reduce over the coming years. Currently, an average of 4,100 people travel on a 12-coach train. “We hope to reduce the passenger load to 3,000 per train over the next two years,” said PC Sehgal, MVRC’s managing director.

Railway data shows the crush inside trains has reduced by 18 per cent over the last three years.

Minister of State for Home Arif Naseem Khan said the railways should augment station capacity to reduce crowding on platforms.

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/New-look-planned-for-second-batch-of-new-age-trains/Article1-608936.aspx)

New look planned for second batch of new-age trains

The 72 new-age trains that are part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) phase-II are yet to arrive in the city, but plans are afoot to change their look. Officials from the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which is planning and developing the suburban rail system under the MUTP, expect changes both in the interior and exterior of these trains.

PC Sehgal, managing director, MRVC, said: “Any changes in the colour of the trains will be decided after all 129 trains under the MUTP phase-I reach the city.”

The 72 trains will start arriving in the city from early 2012.

The officials expect new colour of seats in both first-class and second-class compartments. The options available are red, green, orange, purple and even a chequered combination with lighter shades.

Changing the arrangement of lights and fans is also being looked into. Of the 13 colour combinations initially selected, the violet-white combination was selected for the 129 new-age trains hat were part of the first phase of the project.

The railways are now looking painting the new lot of 72 trains with a darker shade, such as red, to camouflage paan stains.

Rs 2 lakh was spend to clean each coach.

Now, Mumbai locals want Elphinstone Road station renamed as Prabhadevi (http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/now-mumbai-locals-want-elphinstone-road-station-renamed-as-prabhadevi-57123?cp)

Mumbai: The name-changing bug has hit the city again. Residents of Worli-Prabhadevi have demanded that the Elphinstone Road railway station on Western Railway (WR) be renamed as Prabhadevi.

"There are popular areas like Worli, Prabhadevi and Parel in the vicinity. I don't know why the station has been called Elphinstone Road for so many years," said Ganesh Waingankar, a Worli resident. Ramchandra Bhonde, another resident, said, "We should name the station after goddess Prabhadevi or even Siddhivinayak whom the area is known for."

The NCP has supported the demand. Ramesh Parab, local NCP leader, said, "We have changed Victoria Terminus to Chhatrapati Shivaji. Why can't we honour the sentiments of Worli residents?"

According to a book Anchoring a City Line by Sharada Dwivedi and Rahul Mehrotra, the station was named after John, Lord Elphinstone who was the governor of Bombay from 1853 to 1860. It reads, "The city's progress in the 1850s and 60s was due to the acumen of this Governor."

Parab said the renaming was justified. "Lord Elphinstone was a visionary and he has done a lot for Mumbai. But how long can we have a station named in his honour?" he said. "The temple of Prabhadevi is more than 350 years old. It is an important religious place."

WR chief spokesman Sharat Chandrayan said: "Decisions on changing the names of stations are taken by the railway ministry." He added that a proposal to rename Grant Road as August Kranti is pending.

"We have sent letters to the rail minister and our leader Sharad Pawar, who has promised that he will get the name changed," Parab said.

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/New-look-planned-for-second-batch-of-new-age-trains/Article1-608936.aspx)

New look planned for second batch of new-age trains

The 72 new-age trains that are part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) phase-II are yet to arrive in the city, but plans are afoot to change their look. Officials from the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which is planning and developing the suburban rail system under the MUTP, expect changes both in the interior and exterior of these trains.

PC Sehgal, managing director, MRVC, said: “Any changes in the colour of the trains will be decided after all 129 trains under the MUTP phase-I reach the city.”

The 72 trains will start arriving in the city from early 2012.

The officials expect new colour of seats in both first-class and second-class compartments. The options available are red, green, orange, purple and even a chequered combination with lighter shades.

Changing the arrangement of lights and fans is also being looked into. Of the 13 colour combinations initially selected, the violet-white combination was selected for the 129 new-age trains hat were part of the first phase of the project.

The railways are now looking painting the new lot of 72 trains with a darker shade, such as red, to camouflage paan stains.

Rs 2 lakh was spend to clean each coach.

So what do the "new-age" trains look like? I can't seem to find any rendering of the coaches.

Now, Mumbai locals want Elphinstone Road station renamed as Prabhadevi (http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/now-mumbai-locals-want-elphinstone-road-station-renamed-as-prabhadevi-57123?cp)


Uhhh... sure I guess, these names aren't really confusing. Everyone knows where Prabhadevi is.

In fact for me this will make it easier. Although arent both Prabhadevi and Siddhivinayak much farther west?

So what do the "new-age" trains look like? I can't seem to find any rendering of the coaches.

That's because its the same old ugly shit, with a few useless upgrades.

prabhadevi is hardly a few hundred yards away, so i guess it would work

elphinstone doesnt really tell you where it is, prabhadevi might be a good change of name

great to know that it will be named as prabhadevi :)

Ha Ha Ha I used to walk from Dadar station to go to siddhivinayak now I know where to get down :)

+1 Ha Ha Ha I used to walk from Dadar station to go to siddhivinayak now I know where to get down :)

I guess the only remaining vestiges of this city's colonial heritage were in the names of stations like Elphinstone Road, Cotton Green and Sandhurst Road. They probably spoke of the a bygone era.

Personally I wud rather have that name kept since Worli and Prabhadevi are not exactly near the station. The station technically is in the Parel ward. Also, both Worli and Prabhadevi will get stations under line 3 of the metro, so if this named for either one of the places then wht will those stations be named?

Source (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_virar-dahanu-line-opening-delayed-by-shortage-of-trains_1449239)
Virar-Dahanu line opening delayed by shortage of trains

Just a day after chief minister Ashok Chavan congratulated the railways for providing a record number of trains for Mumbai’s commuters, the Western Railway (WR) on Thursday cited shortage of trains as the reason behind the delay in opening the Virar-Dahanu suburban section.

As lakhs of commuters await the opening of this section, two railway bodies in Mumbai are pointing fingers at each other for the delay.

While the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, which coordinated the project to extend suburban services to Dahanu, has announced that technical work on the line is complete and local trains can be plied on it, Western Railway officials said that shortage of trains was holding up the project.

“Work is complete from our side and the railways can begin plying trains between Virar and Dahanu anytime,” said Dr PC Sehgal, managing director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation.

However, WR’s Mumbai division top boss Girish Pillai said, “Availability of trains is the main issue behind not opening the Virar-Dahanu section.”

Sehgal said that the WR should throw open the service by at least plying one train from the available lot.

Mumbai has been receiving a regular and unprecedented supply of trains since November 2007. Till now, a record number of 101 trains have been received.

Extending suburban trains to Dahanu will expand the city further to the north. Thousands have shifted to areas beyond Virar, anticipating the local trains and investing in real estate.

Real estate developers are coming up with mini townships in the area. They predict that the Virar-Dahanu stretch will look like Vasai-Virar in about five years.

Tata Housing has recently launched its low-cost housing project near Boisar offering 1,000 units. The houses have been priced between Rs3.90 lakh and Rs 6.70 lakh.

Once the section opens, a direct train between Churchgate and Dahanu will also be possible. However, railway officials said there is no plan to open any new station between Virar and Dahanu.
The CM has said that he is keen to develop this region.

Source (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Railway-services-on-Virar-Dahanu-route-by-June-2011/Article1-609882.aspx)
Railway services on Virar-Dahanu route by June 2011

Chief Minister Ashok Chavan may be trying his best to develop areas beyond Vasai and Virar, but opening of the much-awaited 63-km Virar-Dahanu railway line has been delayed yet again. Almost 77,000 people from the Virar-Dahanu stretch commute daily to Mumbai. Even though the tracks have been laid out and technical modifications have been completed in March this year, Western Railway (WR) has cited lack of enough violet-white trains as the reason for the delay.

“We will be able to start suburban services on the Virar-Dahanu stretch post June 2011, when we expect enough trains to arrive. Right now, there is no point in running locals between Virar-Dahanu as a shuttle service already exists,” said S Chandrayan, chief public relations officer (PRO), WR.

According to sources, WR will get 27 violet-white trains from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai, in the next seven months.

At present, WR has received 58 such trains, which have been used to increase services between Virar and Andheri, which is a very crowded stretch.

Moreover, WR will also need to make arrangements for additional motormen to run trains up to Dahanu, which would take around 3 hours from Churchgate. The principal secretary of the urban development department too has asked railways to employ more number of motormen. The new lot of 44 motormen is set to join services by October-end

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/10/10/Article//007/10_10_2010_007_006.jpg

+1


Personally I wud rather have that name kept since Worli and Prabhadevi are not exactly near the station. The station technically is in the Parel ward. Also, both Worli and Prabhadevi will get stations under line 3 of the metro, so if this named for either one of the places then wht will those stations be named?

IMO Suburban and metro can have same station names no problem with that provided that station speakes of the area the train is halting. People are more used to words like Prabhadevi rather than the colonial era names.

34-yr-old set to become first WR motorwoman

Roana Maria Costa TNN

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) is gearing up to welcome its first motorwoman.
Priti Kumari, 34, will pilot the 2:29 slow local (train number 593) between Churchgate and Borivli. She will be guided by a chief loco inspector.
“I am very happy,” said Kumari on Monday. After undergoing on-field training for six months, Kumari will be one of three to join WR on Tuesday. “I will start the day by going to the temple,” she told TOI.
Sixty-nine candidates started training for the post in August 2009 and the trio will be the first batch to be inducted. “The rest of the to-be-motormen will all be inducted in the last 45 days whenever they clear the required practical and competency tests,” said a WR official.
What makes Kumari’s feat even more noteworthy is the fact that she would also be the first woman in Indian Railways to gain direct entry to the post.
On CR, motorwomen like Surekha Yadav who incidentally was the first motorwoman in Asia, worked her way up from the post of assistant driver.
Kumari has a diploma in electronics and a BA (honours) in history. A native of Banka District in Bihar, she joined WR's Electrical Training College, Mahalaxmi in August last year.
Kumari stays with her husband, who is employed with the Indian Air Force, at Dahisar.

self DELETE

A bulk of the current fleet of both the Western and Central railways features old rakes which are capable of a maximum speed of 85 km/h in regular service. Most of these rakes are built by Jessop (Kolkata) and ICF (Perambur). The recently introduced AC/DC rakes (more modern motors in the existing carriage designs) are capable of 100 km/h under low traffic conditions. The actual average speed of the rakes on the slow lines is about 35 km/h, while rakes on fast lines average about 45–50 km/h on a typical run.

On November 12, 2007, 1st new technology rake of 174 new technology rakes with upgraded facilities was inducted into the fleet of the Western Railways under the MUTP project. The coaches are built of stainless steel, and have non-cushioned seats, emergency fluorescent lights, bigger windows with polycarbonate lookout glass, better suspension systems and a novel roof mounted forced ventilation system, station indicators in all coaches, GPS based Public information system in all coaches. These rakes have been procured under the project at a total cost of Rs 1,900 crore (Rs 19 billion) (USD 431.0 million).


Source : Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_Suburban_Railway)

I had a question on the above. The Wiki states that "As on May 2010, 84 out of 247 (12 coach train) new trains has been delivered to Mumbai Suburban Railway."

1) When does Mumbai plan to completely remove the old rakes and replace all of them with the above?
2) What's the difference between the ones already delivered and ones being portrayed in the article BELOW? Are these "new looks" essentially the same trains but just some color differences:




New look planned for second batch of new-age trains

The 72 new-age trains that are part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) phase-II are yet to arrive in the city, but plans are afoot to change their look. Officials from the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which is planning and developing the suburban rail system under the MUTP, expect changes both in the interior and exterior of these trains.

PC Sehgal, managing director, MRVC, said: “Any changes in the colour of the trains will be decided after all 129 trains under the MUTP phase-I reach the city.”

The 72 trains will start arriving in the city from early 2012.

The officials expect new colour of seats in both first-class and second-class compartments. The options available are red, green, orange, purple and even a chequered combination with lighter shades.

Changing the arrangement of lights and fans is also being looked into. Of the 13 colour combinations initially selected, the violet-white combination was selected for the 129 new-age trains hat were part of the first phase of the project.

The railways are now looking painting the new lot of 72 trains with a darker shade, such as red, to camouflage paan stains.

New-Age trains? Again? They had the new-age trains 3 years ago in those purple and the white colored rakes and new age already? How are they new age when its the same old freaking rakes design?

new-age = new born (literal meaning! :D)

Source : Wiki (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_Suburban_Railway)

I had a question on the above. The Wiki states that "As on May 2010, 84 out of 247 (12 coach train) new trains has been delivered to Mumbai Suburban Railway."

1) When does Mumbai plan to completely remove the old rakes and replace all of them with the above?
2) What's the difference between the ones already delivered and ones being portrayed in the article BELOW? Are these "new looks" essentially the same trains but just some color differences:





hmm there is not going to be too much of a difference in terms of speed.

the average speed on the slow line will increase to 40km per hour from 35

and fast train will remain the same.(about 50km per hour)


The real increase in speed and frequency will come once they improve all the signalling equipment.

I think if they do improve the fundamentals like signalling and track we should be frequency cut down to 2 minutes in rush hour and fast trains at 60km per hour and slow at 45.

Many times trains just wait outside the stations waiting for the access or signals.


all in all if all the upgrades they talk about do take place,

you will have a fast train every 1 minute during rush hour on a dedicated track.(60km per hour average speed)

a slow train every 1 min (45km per hour average speed)

frequency possible due to multiple tracks.

dedicated tracks for out of station trains. (thane to kurla is nearly done on the eastern side and they plan to extend to CST from kurla and Kalyan from thane)

all rakes should be 15 coaches with stations in Sobo expanded to handle 15 coach train.

a special dedicated fast lane track for the Harbour line and heavy increase in frequency.



if they do implement the above in the next 10 years then IMO we should have quite an efficient system on our hands.....this should have already been in place.

Does any one know if they completed the 1500 V to 25 kV conversion?

I think if they do improve the fundamentals like signalling and track we should be frequency cut down to 2 minutes in rush hour and fast trains at 60km per hour and slow at 45.


Are you Ichi with a new Name ? :lol: Because all these suggestions were given by him.

yes it is I

the great ichi

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/2624/1016201093333am.jpg

source : DNA Mumbai

http://img180.imageshack.us/img180/2624/1016201093333am.jpg

source : DNA Mumbai


In the pipeline: Trains from Panvel to Raigad

Hindustan Times (http://www.hindustantimes.com/In-the-pipeline-Trains-from-Panvel-to-Raigad/Article1-613637.aspx)

Mumbai, October 16,
Soon, you will be able to take a suburban local train beyond Panvel in Navi Mumbai to Karjat and Uran in the neighbouring Raigad district. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has proposed to include a 27.6-km line from Panvel to Karjat and a 26.9-km line from Panvel to Uran under the third phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).

This will boost real estate and industrial development in the Panvel-Uran-Karjat triangle. With the state government planning a new airport near Panvel, the extension of suburban trains will provide the area with a much-needed mass transport system.

The Panvel-Uran and Panvel-Karjat routes have a single line mainly being used by goods trains. The Pune-Manmad Express is the only train that runs on the Panvel-Karjat stretch built in 2005. Suburban trains on the Harbour line carry five lakh commuters to Panvel every day. Those wanting to travel to Uran or Karjat from here have to rely on state transport buses.

“We are looking at exploring these routes, which are part of the Comprehensive Transport Study under MUTP III for suburban trains. The third phase will have additional lines for suburban trains along with other infrastructure,” said PC Sehgal, managing director, MRVC. The distance from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) and Karjat is 100km, while the CST-Panvel stretch is 42-km long. If the Panvel-Karjat line is laid, commuters will be able to cut 30km out of the journey.

The project will mean a turnaround for Panvel and nearby areas, where real estate prices start at Rs 2,500 a square foot. “These two routes will surely open up the real estate market in Navi Mumbai and further north. Big developers are already planning housing projects in Boisar and Dahanu although the Virar-Dahanu stretch hasn’t opened for local trains yet,” said a senior MRVC official on condition of anonymity.

The MRVC will have to first convert the Harbour line from 1,500-volt Direct Current to 25,000-volt Alternating Current for it to extend it between Panvel and Karjat. This will happen when the Central Railway gets the new violet-and-white trains.

The MRVC has also planned a line connecting Virar-Vasai to Diva-Panvel thus linking the farthest ends of Western and Harbour line stations. The Konkan Railway also plans to electrify its entire 760-km route in the next two years. This means the only stretch remaining to be linked will be between Roha and Uran, through the industrial belt of Pen. “We hope to complete electrification work till Roha in the next two years,” said BP Tayal, managing director, Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd

In pipeline, 7 new rail routes under MUTP-III around Alibaug, Uran
Express News Service (http://www.indianexpress.com/news/In-pipeline--7-new-rail-routes-under-MUTP-III-around-Alibaug--Uran/698872/)

Posted: Mon Oct 18 2010, 03:35 hrs

Mumbai: The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation is planning to add several rail routes in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region under Phase III of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). These routes will be added in areas near the industrial belt around Alibaug and Uran.

According to Pramod Chander Sehgal, managing director, MRVC, it has identified seven routes where new railway lines can come up. These routes are Panvel-Thal, Panvel-Karjat, Panvel-Uran, Ranjanpada-Kharkopar-Targhar-Seawoods and Thal-Alibaug. These lines have also been identified in the Comprehensive Transport Study Report. All these areas are potential growth centres and near the proposed Navi Mumbai airport. Even the proposed Mumbai-Trans Harbour Link (MTHL) would be near these proposed routes. Though the Phase III —estimated at around Rs 30,000 crore — is yet to be sanctioned, the Railway Ministry and the state government have identified a few areas for new projects, like running of 12-coach trains and fast-track corridor on the Harbor line, new suburban line on the Vasai-Diva-Panvel region, 3rd and 4th line between Dahanu and Virar and 5th and 6th between Virar and Borivali, 15-coach trains on CR and WR. “Phase III is yet to be sanctioned and both the state government and the MRVC is checking options regarding this. Next month, we are inviting people who can give inputs on what can be added in Phase III of MUTP,” said Sehgal

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Thane-Vashi-Panvel-route-will-get-12-coach-trains/Article1-615206.aspx)
Thane-Vashi-Panvel route will get 12-coach trains

Commuters who travel frequently on the Thane-Vashi-Panvel Trans Harbour line have some respite in sight. The Central Railway (CR) has finally extended the platforms and related infrastructure to accommodate 12-coach trains on the route. Around 5 lakh commuters travel on the stretch. A change from nine-coach to 12-coach trains will increase the capacity inside trains by 33%. However, the commuters will not get to travel on these trains immediately. They will have to wait for eight months, because there aren’t enough trains to run on this stretch.

“The coaches available are not enough. So it will take time before 12-coach trains are introduced on the Trans Harbour,” said S Mudgerikar, chief PRO.

The CR has to wait for the Western Railway (WR) to get 27 new trains under the first phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) from the Integral Coach Factory (ICF).

The WR will then transfer 27 of their older trains which are already running to the CR. These 9-coach trains will then be converted to 12-coach. The WR receives an average of 3 to 4 trains every month from the ICF. Therefore, the possible deadline for getting these trains is June 2011.

“The WR will transfer the trains running on 1,500-volt direct current to us once they receive the violet and white 25,000-volt alternate current trains from the ICF,” said a CR official on condition of anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

There are 208 train services covering 10 stations on the Trans Harbour, out of which 44 services were added in May this year.

The rail traffic on this stretch is not much and so the CR authorities expect each train to run 20 services per day, to support the changing demography and increasing number of commuters in Navi Mumbai and Panvel.

The CR has been having trial runs for 12-coach trains between Thane and Vashi since November 2008.

TOI (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/mumbai/Central-Railway-service-to-Karjat-gets-on-the-fast-track/articleshow/6771382.cms)

Central Railway service to Karjat gets on the fast track

MUMBAI: Thanks to the quick completion of the DC to AC traction system, the running time for suburban services between Kalyan-Karjat/ Khopoli will be reduced by five minutes from October 24.

Conversion of the DC traction to AC traction system between Gangani-Kalyan section will be completed on October 24. As a result, Central Railway will save about Rs one crore per year in the traction energy bill.

"It will eliminate the change of crew/locomotives and improve the Kalyan-Lonavala section. This will result in saving of running time for suburban services by five minutes between Kalyan-Karjat\Khopoli section,'' M C Chavan, divisional railway manager, said.

Chavan said the spin-off benefits of the DC to AC traction would be the increase in the number of services on the main line from 782 to 785 and increase in 12 car services from 621 to 671. "The increase in morning peak hours slow 12 car services is from 25 to 28 and in evening peak hours slow 12 car services is from 25 to 32,'' Chavan said.

The timetable has been designed to ensure there will not be any DC nine car rakes plying on Sunday and holidays. "The commissioning of the traction will further boost suburban services. Our efforts will be towards further development of the entire suburban network as it is the lifeline of the metropolis,'' Chavan added.

The DRM said that owing to the concerted efforts of both the railway administration and local agencies, it was smooth sailing for suburban train services during the monsoon. "For the CR administration, in view of the past experience, monsoon was a big challenge. We took adequate precautions, so there were fewer hurdles,'' he added.

@Bombay2Calcutta do you know if CR has already been converted to AC?

^^ As far a I am aware only Kalyan to Kasara has been converted. With the news report above , Kalyan to Karjat section will also be converted.

The remaining sections are
1. CST Kalyan
2. CST Panvel
3. Thane Panvel
4 CST Andheri

Vasai Diva Panvel section is already under AC traction.

WOW. Long way to go. Thanks.

[QUOTE=Bombay2Calcutta;65653637The remaining sections are
1. CST Kalyan
2. CST Panvel
3. Thane Panvel
4 CST Andheri

[/QUOTE]

I guess some of these should already be converted? Can anybody confirm

I guess some of these should already be converted? Can anybody confirm

I think the next step was to convert thane-badlapur, tilaknagar-panvel and thane-vashi sections to AC traction. CST-thane will take time since CR has to decide on the some fate of some ROBs which have a lower height than required for AC traction. Like wise for Churchgate-Borivli section???

BTW i wasnt aware that andheri-borivali section was converted to AC:nuts:

The Mumbai suburban sections under AC are
(1) Borivali (station excluded) and beyond towards north on WR
(2) Badlapur (yard excluded) and beyond towards Pune on CR
(3) Kalyan frieght yard and lines towards Igatpuri
(4) Vasai-Panvel line

Everything else is DC

@Smooth Indian : Andheri-Borivali is not AC

Locals will get touch of steel,sport colour band

Roana Maria Costa TNN

Mumbai: Under the second phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport project (MUTP-2 ),trains will not be identified by a colour,but by a single band just like Delhi metro.

Since the 72 new rakes under the project would be made of stainless steel,there would be no need to paint them, said P C Sehgal,managing director,Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation,on Thursday.However,the monotony would be broken with a band running along the trains centre. Its colour has not been decided yet.Stainless steel rakes come at a 20% additional cost than those procured under MUTP-I,which cost Rs 27 crores for 12 cars and Rs 20 crores for nine cars.

Sehgal said the National Institute of Design (NID),Ahmedabad,conducted a study at a cost of Rs 13 lakhs,for which it took inspiration from international trains as well as the citys BEST buses.There are plans to jazz up the rakes interiors,though (See Box).Sehgal said some of the short-listed colours for Second Class seats included twilight blue,bright orange,purple and royal pink.Of these,NID has recommended twilight blue.Some of the colours considered for First Class seats include olive green,ice blue,maroon and magenta.NID recommended maroon.

Meanwhile,officials from the World Bank at a press conference on Thursday said delays and mistakes under MUTP-I have helped them strategize the second phase.

Thursday was the formal launch of MUTP-2 A which includes procurement of 72 12-car rakes,DC to AC conversion,stabling lines and maintenance facilities of EMUs and technical assistance.

KEEPING TRACK
The new rakes,under MUTP-2,will be on the lines of the Delhi metro

These will be a single shade of stainless steel,on the outside

The only spot of colour would be a band across the rakes,to break the monotony

The flooring,side panels,luggage racks,ceiling panels and window frames will sport standard colours,on the inside

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=8&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=TOIM&mydateHid=22-10-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI

http://i115.photobucket.com/albums/n311/dandpatta/MumbaiLOCL.jpg


Locals will get touch of steel,sport colour band

Roana Maria Costa TNN

Mumbai: Under the second phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport project (MUTP-2 ),trains will not be identified by a colour,but by a single band just like Delhi metro.

Since the 72 new rakes under the project would be made of stainless steel,there would be no need to paint them, said P C Sehgal,managing director,Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation,on Thursday.However,the monotony would be broken with a band running along the trains centre. Its colour has not been decided yet.Stainless steel rakes come at a 20% additional cost than those procured under MUTP-I,which cost Rs 27 crores for 12 cars and Rs 20 crores for nine cars.

Sehgal said the National Institute of Design (NID),Ahmedabad,conducted a study at a cost of Rs 13 lakhs,for which it took inspiration from international trains as well as the citys BEST buses.There are plans to jazz up the rakes interiors,though (See Box).Sehgal said some of the short-listed colours for Second Class seats included twilight blue,bright orange,purple and royal pink.Of these,NID has recommended twilight blue.Some of the colours considered for First Class seats include olive green,ice blue,maroon and magenta.NID recommended maroon.

Meanwhile,officials from the World Bank at a press conference on Thursday said delays and mistakes under MUTP-I have helped them strategize the second phase.

Thursday was the formal launch of MUTP-2 A which includes procurement of 72 12-car rakes,DC to AC conversion,stabling lines and maintenance facilities of EMUs and technical assistance.

KEEPING TRACK
The new rakes,under MUTP-2,will be on the lines of the Delhi metro

These will be a single shade of stainless steel,on the outside

The only spot of colour would be a band across the rakes,to break the monotony

The flooring,side panels,luggage racks,ceiling panels and window frames will sport standard colours,on the inside

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=8&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=TOIM&mydateHid=22-10-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI

^^ Back to my original question - somewhere on this board.

1) Whats was the total number of Old Rakes in Mumbai Suburban Railway?
2) How many of them have been replaced in Phase-1 with new trains?
3) How many of them will be replaced in Phase-2?
4) Are the Phase-2 rakes any different from Phase-1 rakes?If yes- then are there any plans to replace the Phase-1 rakes with the ones delivered in Phase-2?
5) Does (2) + (3) imply ALL the old rakes have been replaced by the modern ones?


Can someone post the answers to these BARRAGE of questions? :)

The Mumbai suburban sections under AC are
(1) Borivali (station excluded) and beyond towards north on WR
(2) Badlapur (yard excluded) and beyond towards Pune on CR
(3) Kalyan frieght yard and lines towards Igatpuri
(4) Vasai-Panvel line

Everything else is DC

@Smooth Indian : Andheri-Borivali is not AC

Begining 24th Oct, the route from Kalyan to PUNE on CR will be AC.

^^ Back to my original question - somewhere on this board.

1) Whats was the total number of Old Rakes in Mumbai Suburban Railway?
2) How many of them have been replaced in Phase-1 with new trains?
3) How many of them will be replaced in Phase-2?
4) Are the Phase-2 rakes any different from Phase-1 rakes?If yes- then are there any plans to replace the Phase-1 rakes with the ones delivered in Phase-2?
5) Does (2) + (3) imply ALL the old rakes have been replaced by the modern ones?


Can someone post the answers to these BARRAGE of questions? :)

1. Around 170-180.
2. Currently 100.
3. 72.
4. They will be different. What difference, we will have to wait & watch.
5. Not all. At least 20-30 will remain.

^^ thanks mate!! Entry (5) doesn't match up with the figures - I'm guessing this number includes backup rakes, pantry and some such?

copyright akshay m (flickr) http://www.flickr.com/photos/akshaywcam1/2877688661/in/photostream/


http://img525.imageshack.us/img525/4096/2877677113846d59935fs.jpg
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Andheri stn to get new building in a months time

Roana Maria Costa TNN TNN

Mumbai: If everything goes according to plan,Andheri station will get a swanky twostoreyed building in a months time.The Rs 4.41 crore structure,which is nearing completion,is located between the south and central foot overbridges (FOBs).

The building when ready will house a food plaza,toilets for the physically challenged and a concourse hall,besides booking windows as well as have provisions for basic passenger amenities.It will be the first suburban station to have a lift for commuters to access booking counters on different floors.A railway court and a chamber for the magistrate will also be located in the brand new building.

Currently,Andheri station does not have a building.The new building is part of the bigger plan when the west end will be razed to extend the harbour lines to Goregaon.The entire cost of the project is estimated at Rs 7.5 crore.
Work on the building started in November 2008.An elevated building is planned on the west side of the station and platform one (where Virar-bound trains halt) would be narrowed to accommodate tracks.Once tracks are laid,an additional platform would also be built towards the west.
According to officials,work is on to lay the foundation for the new building and tracks would be laid only after the new building comes up.There are also plans to construct new buildings on the west of both Jogeshwari and Goregaon stations.

But the projects are expected to take a few years.At Jogeshwari,there are many structures on the west that would have to be removed.At Goregaon station too,the structures on the west end would be shifted for the elevated building to come up.

http://img169.imageshack.us/img169/9339/pc0081900.jpg

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=8&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=TOIM&mydateHid=28-10-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI

Andheri station set for Rs4.41-crore makeover

Published: Thursday, Oct 28, 2010, 3:56 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: Reuters

After Borivli, Andheri is up for a makeover next. The Western Railway is setting up a swank building at Andheri railway station, which will have a large number of commuter facilities, including a food plaza, lifts and office utilities, at a cost of Rs4.41 crore.

Officials said the new building, being built on the eastern side, will house a railway court, a chamber for the magistrate and offices for the government railway police and the railway protection force. The new station building is being built by Western Railway and its construction began in November 2008.

The Western Railway is in the process of upgrading its stations as the railway completes 60 years of re-organisation on November 5, this year. “The Western line was first laid in 1864, but was re-organised and renamed as Western Railway on November 5, 1951,” a senior divisional official said.

The harbour line that terminates at Andheri station is also being extended till Goregaon and the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation has begun the ground work for the process. The Rs100 crore extension is part of the Rs5,300-crore MUTP-II project, which is expected to be complete by 2014. “All this will lead to more traffic and commuters at the station, hence there was need for bigger and better station buildings,” he added.

According to the plan, platforms six and seven at Andheri will be extended at the Goregaon end. Some of the structures will be shifted to the new building. The new station building should be ready by year-end.

The old Andheri station building, located on the western side, is a century-old structure with wooden pillars, thatched roof and an inscription.

The building may have to make way for the new tracks that are being laid for the harbour line. Authorities said that they would try and salvage important relics. The old station building also has a stone engraving dated 1902 above the public canteen.
It was in 1902 that this station building was built by the former Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway Company. “In the old days, there was a tram terminus outside the Andheri station (West), where the bus depot stands today,” Andheri resident KV Rajan said.

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_andheri-station-set-for-rs4-41-crore-makeover_1458796

wow its really awesome news,,, finally IR woke up and doing some thing good, may metro/monorail effect?

finally...something good in andheri:cheers: lol..:lol:

That's it? 4.41 crore for a station makeover? I thought it would have been more expensive than that. Chalo, jitne kam utna achcha hai. Yeh log ko khaane ko bhi kam milega.

^^ thats just for the building thats coming up not for the whole station .They are doing this for borivali station as well.They are setting up new facilities on the east side.I have to say they have done a pretty decent job by railway standards.They have organised the rickshaw and taxi parking ,de congested the whole place and added more road space.The work is still going on but the biggest dissapointment is people still continue to spit and litter and hawkers spoil the look of of the otherwise ok renovation job that is going on.

Station make over? Or just another way to loot?
It's high time the railway officials stopped thinking that only officers of a certain grade are entitled to certain facilities. I think a paying commuter is entitled to certain basic facilities which is non-existent at all railways stations run by Bharatiya Rail.

Soon, you can use escalators at Dadar, Andheri, Thane

Published: Saturday, Oct 30, 2010,
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

Escalators at suburban stations in the city would soon be a reality. To begin with, the railways has zeroed in on five stations: Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, Andheri and Borivli.

Both the zonal railways have identified locations, prepared a basic plan and estimate, and sent the proposals to the railway board in New Delhi. The board will now call for tenders and start work for the project.

“There are over 100 such escalators being planned for stations across India. The working and basic infrastructure of escalators at railway stations would be standardised for the railway stations,” a top official said, adding that the five stations will have two escalators each.

CR chief spokesperson SC Mudgerikar and WR spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan confirmed that the proposals had been sent to the railway board for final approvals.

Ranjan Das, a commuter from Borivli, said if escalators could work at airports where all kinds of people travel, what is the harm of trying them at railway stations?

Railway officials said that the company that will install the escalators would train railway staff in handling the machines.

Transport specialist with World Bank Arun Mokashi, who was instrumental in reviving the transport infrastructure of Afghanistan after the war, said: “Escalators are necessary and they will be a boon to senior citizens. The bridges will always remain there, but escalators would help many. The railways should have done it earlier. When we talk of upgrading the infrastructure, these things are bound to come. Initially, there would be problems. We cannot slowdown due to such fears. It is a welcome sign and the railway should get them.”

IIT civil engineer and transport analyst Sudhir Badami said: “The railways should select those stations where track crossings are more so that they can help reduce deaths. Escalators will help in quick dispersal of crowd. I do not think it would be a big problem with commuters.”

http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_soon-you-can-use-escalators-at-dadar-andheri-thane_1459722

great news....really nice something is getting done....

http://i55.tinypic.com/2rzz1qc.jpg
Mumbai: Travelling late night from Churchgate Station this Diwali will be no light job.
In a bid to extend the cover shed to accommodate 12-car trains,the Western Railway (WR) has started night blocks at Churchgate station.For the next 43 nights,trains coming in and leaving Churchgate would either be cancelled or terminated at an earlier station.The night block is proposed to end on December 12 and the project will be commissioned on December 24.
During the blocks,WR officials said,a few night trains will be terminated at Marine Lines station,while some trains leaving and arriving at Churchgate will be cancelled.The last Borivli local,though,that leaves Churchgate at 1.00 am and the last local for Virar at 00.50 am will continue according to schedule.Also,the west side of platform No 1 will be out of bounds for passengers of the last three coaches of 12-car trains.
When the Churchgate building was built in 1951,its cover shed was built only to protect 9-car trains.Commuters have long complained that this has left travellers on the last three coaches on the northern end exposed to the harsh sun and the heavy monsoons.Churchgate handles 966 trains a day,including 37 between 11.00 pm and 6.30 am.
Sharat Chandrayan,chief public relations officer of WR,said the cover shed is being extended by 68 metres at an estimated cost of Rs 5.78 crore.The work has already started.The extended cover shed will have a maximum width of 45 metres without any intermediate support between two end supports, he said.
Pre-engineering building technology will be used for this work.This would be the first time on Indian Railways that such technology is being used for this type of work, added Chandrayan.
The pre-fabricated steel cover will be placed over pre-fabricated steel girders.Four 30-tonne cranes will be used for the project.There wont be any pillars landing onto the platforms as this would eat into the space needed for commuters, he said.

Today - TOI

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Ballard-Pier-station-only-if-feasible-WB/Article1-619254.aspx)
Commuters may be in for a treat if the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation’s (MRVC) plan to revive the Ballard Pier-Raoli Junction (GTB Nagar)-Panvel route under phase-III of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) takes off.
The World Bank – which is funding the first two phases of MUTP – has clearly said it would agree to the route only if it were feasible.

“We will thoroughly study the feasibility of this route before agreeing to fund its revival,” said an official from WB on condition of anonymity. During World Bank’s recent visit to Mumbai, officials made it clear they would first study the routes under MUTP phase-III before thinking about future funding.

“We will review the projects under MUTP phase-III, which at present seem ambitious,” said World Bank representative Hubert Nove-Josserand during his visit.
It has been six decades since the Ballard Pier Mole railway station ceased to operate.

The MRVC wants to revive this line as it would be next to impossible to start a fast line from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Panvel as the line already has elevated steel bridges that are more than 70 years old. They have also presented a few options to the Central Railway, who are now carrying out preliminary studies.

As per a plan by the railways, the cost of a route between Ballard Pier and Raoli Junction would have required Rs 200 crore. There are tracks at Raoli junction, but they are currently covered by slums and grass.

MRVC sources said, “There are not many problems beyond Mankhurd, where an additional bridge has to come up for the fast corridor. Even congested stations like Kurla can be managed. The alignment up to Wadala is the one that needs to be worked on.”

The first option is to have an elevated route up to Mankhurd either above the present line or a corridor that would run parallel to P D’Mello Road. This will start from Ballard Pier, although the tracks might have to be realigned.

Another plan proposes an underground route up to Wadala but the cost factor would be three times the current approximate cost of Rs 3,000 crore for the fast corridor. “There is a possibility of having such routes. Preliminary studies are on,” said a senior CR official.

The third option is to use the empty plot of Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT). The existing rail line at Ballard Pier currently belongs to the MbPT, and connecting the Harbour line to it would be the biggest hurdle. “This would also be an extended process if the MbPT agrees to our plan. We can create an elevated route here as well,” the MRVC official added.

About 15% of the Harbour line is an elevated band. Also, construction of additional lines will also require of lot of restructuring and shifting of tracks passing underneath. MRVC managing director, PC Sehgal, said, “This project is at the planning stage.”

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/11/03/Article//010/03_11_2010_010_015.jpg

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/11/03/Article//010/03_11_2010_010_014.jpg

Now,wait a little longer for a smooth train ride

Roana Maria Costa TNN 03-11-2010.

Mumbai: The much awaited 105th rake,which promises Mumbaikars a smoother ride,has been delayed because some crucial parts have gone missing.

The 105th rake is special because it would be the first rake with bolsterless suspension.It was scheduled to chug into the city in October and be a part of the WR stables.

However,the 105th rake has been delayed because crucial parts to be fitted in two bogies,which have been imported from Austria,have still not arrived.We hope that the rake comes by the end of this month, Mumbai railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC),P C Sehgal said.

Officials promise that this rake would have a lower riding index and will take care of all the nine types of vibrations in a coach,changing the way Mumbai rides the local forever.

The present rakes have oil filled dampers which leak and have to be refilled every time the train goes for maintenance.However,all this would be done away with the new bolster less bogies, Sehgal said.

Also the braking distance in the new bogies would be reduced.Right now,the cylinders are in the centre of the bogies and it takes time for the braking,but the new suspension would have the cylinders just above the wheel, he said.
Meanwhile,the 106th rake has already arrived in the city.The 107th is expected on November 10 and 108th,on 17 November.

Rakes under the first phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport project (MUTP-I ) are all expected to arrive by March 2011.

http://lite.epaper.timesofindia.com/getpage.aspx?pageid=10&pagesize=&edid=&edlabel=TOIM&mydateHid=03-11-2010&pubname=&edname=&publabel=TOI

the high speed rakes are good news....130km/hr....but will the trains run at that speed???on fast tracks i guess.....even now, the top speed is 110 km/hr...but the trains run at 90km/hr.....if the fast trains can run at 130km/hr just during peak hours, railways can add 30% more fast services along the western line....

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6333/img0923za.jpg

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6333/img0923za.jpg

^^^^

FOBs necking out, water tanks etc are an eye sore! I am sure the station building was probably worse earlier, but the renovated station looks no better than a temporary shed for the officers normally seen outside huge construction zones!

Yea , the way the whole place was earlier make this look great .To their credit they have done a decent job of widening/decongesting the whole area.Earlier it was just a two lane road adjoining the station and some railway offices.

wow its looks great than earlier..... at least something nice from IR :)

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/15-coach-trains-to-start-from-Churchgate-next-year/Article1-622427.aspx)
15-coach trains to start from Churchgate next year

Railway authorities took an entire year to just plan an extension of 15-coach trains up to Churchgate. But, the good news is that the Western Railway (WR) will start running 15-coach trains from Churchgate from June 2011. WR will be extending platforms 3 and 4 at Churchgate station, so that 15-coach trains can halt there once the platforms are ready. “We are in the process of planning what needs to be done and it will take us at least three months,” said S Chandrayan, chief PRO, WR.

Railway authorities plan to start work only in the first quarter of 2011.

This work will require them to shift the office of the railway police between platforms 2 and 3, shift the underground utilities and cables beneath the railway tracks and then extend the platforms. The roofs above the platforms would, however, be extended later.

Initially, WR had planned to extend all four platforms at Churchgate and demolish Marine Lines station completely, giving them enough scope even to run 18-coach trains in future. However, they scrapped the plan after deciding it was not feasible.

“The extension of all four platforms would mean that we would have not only had to skip Marine Lines completely, but also extend the stabling lines (where trains are parked during the night) and the signalling systems,” explained the WR official on condition of anonymity as he is not authorised to speak to the media.

The WR has also scrapped the remodelling of Grant Road Terminus, which was part of their previous plan.

Authorities are yet to calculate funding for the extension of the platforms and other allied work and that can be done only after the planning is complete.

Ever since the 15-coach trains were inaugurated by railway minister Mamata Banerjee on November 27, 2009, the WR has been running 12 services every day between Dadar and Virar, halting at Bandra, Andheri, Borivli and Vasai.

From November 15, these trains will also halt at Mira Road, Bhayander and Nallasopara.

As per the proposed route of 15-coach trains, the trains will halt on platform 5 at Dadar station, after crossing over before Dadar (Borivli end), and then again running on the fast corridor after diverting at Elphinstone Road.

http://img824.imageshack.us/img824/6333/img0923za.jpg

That's a world class station by IR standards.

^^^ Damn....... Borivalli station has changed a lot..... Are they gonna fully rebuilt the station or just the external touch ups?

That's a world class station by IR standards.

:lol: Well atleast something is better than nothing .Next step should be to concretise the road from highway to station .Its horrible.It will take another 10 -20yrs.
^ Damn....... Borivali station has changed a lot..... Are they gonna fully rebuilt the station or just the external touch ups?This is the building on the east side.They are doing it phase by phase but right now just the buildings, ticket counters on both the east and western side.This building is gonna have a waiting room for outstation people and separate creche facilitiesfor children loading /unloading facilities .There are plans to widen the whole s.v. road from poinsur depot to goragandhi on the western side.

Looks far better than the usual station areas. Hope it is retained free of encroachments

Do they have AC coaches in mumbai local? AC would need automatic doors too otherwise cooling not possible. It will then cater to wider audience(for car using rich ppl) and only then mumbai local can match delhi metro :) Bangalore car traffic reduced after they introduced AC volvo buses..

Do they have AC coaches in mumbai local? AC would need automatic doors too otherwise cooling not possible. It will then cater to wider audience(for car using rich ppl) and only then mumbai local can match delhi metro :) Bangalore car traffic reduced after they introduced AC volvo buses..

Currently not. Some R&D is happning in Lucknow for AC Coaches (this was year old news). No update after that. As per the plan for the western line AC local will run from Virar to Churchgate -Mostly elevated, partly on ground for which feasibility study is done.

Do they have AC coaches in mumbai local? AC would need automatic doors too otherwise cooling not possible. It will then cater to wider audience(for car using rich ppl) and only then mumbai local can match delhi metro :) Bangalore car traffic reduced after they introduced AC volvo buses..

Local trains do not need to match with Delhi metro. For matching purpose Mumbai is already building metro. Local trains are run by IR, which means .....

Source (http://www.ndtv.com/article/cities/mumbai-marine-lines-fast-track-may-shut-to-run-15-car-train-65158)
Mumbai: Marine Lines fast track may shut to run 15-car train

Mumbai: The Western Railway may have to shut Marine Lines station on the fast corridor to make it feasible to run 15-car trains from Churchgate fast platforms as announced on Thursday.

The Railways will also need to acquire land from a playground and footpath and enhance its power supply to make this a reality.

The Railways announced at a press conference recently that they intend to start 15-car fast train services by June next year.

The feasibility study report submitted by Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES) recently to run 15-car trains on Western Railway has recommended yard remodelling and land acquisition from BMC to make the project feasible.

"To facilitate direct placement of the 15-car train from the stabling line to the platforms at Churchgate, Rites has suggested closing of Marine Lines station for fast trains," the report states.

According to the land acquisition requirements for running 15-car trains on the fast corridor, the railways will have to acquire about 300 metres of land along the east from a footpath at Churchgate, about 255 metres of land on the west from a playground near Marine Lines, about 330 metres of municipal land at Charni Road and about 275 metres east of Marine Lines.

The feasibility report has also recommended additional amenities like more foot overbridges, skywalks and widening the north-end subway at Churchgate by five metres.

The power requirement for running a 15-car train is about 25 per cent more.

The running of 15-car trains will also require workshop attention for their maintenance and there will be requirement to set-up 15-car maintenance facilities at Mahalaxmi car shed too.

About a year ago, the Western Railway had started a 15-car suburban service, touted as the world's longest suburban railway train.

Currently not. Some R&D is happning in Lucknow for AC Coaches (this was year old news). No update after that. As per the plan for the western line AC local will run from Virar to Churchgate -Mostly elevated, partly on ground for which feasibility study is done.
no need of ac only train like a metro train. nor new line required. just like first class coaches add ac coaches.. currently how many first class coaches are there in each train?

Local trains do not need to match with Delhi metro. For matching purpose Mumbai is already building metro. Local trains are run by IR, which means .....

mumbai no scope of north south-metro. so locals are here to stay. add 2 ac coaches wih automatic doors and see fun..

That's a world class station by IR standards.

Obviously the IR standards are beyond any international benchmarks !!!
Putting up panels like these are useless when we know that they are not going to be maintained in the long run. Already there are people spitting paan on the panels (valid source is my brother who lives in Borivali who has seen some MFs create oral juice art)

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/11/11/Article//011/11_11_2010_011_002.jpg

so 33% less crowd... great

wow its looks great than earlier..... at least something nice from IR :)

They have this bad habit of putting elevated footpaths and taxi bays outside the stations with poor streetscaping and drainage. So in monsoons the whole area gets turned into a lake.

They should axe marine lines station anyways.

the distance between charni road and marine lines is less than 1km. It about a 6-8 min walk.

Looks far better than the usual station areas. Hope it is retained free of encroachments

In your dreams. I can already visualize the chaatwalas and sabziwallas setting up their stalls on the new and wide road dividers which as can be seen in one of the pics is already begining to fall apart.

They have this bad habit of putting elevated footpaths and taxi bays outside the stations with poor streetscaping and drainage. So in monsoons the whole area gets turned into a lake.
Yea the streetscaping is poor . But the drainage system is pretty much ok.There was no flooding atleast this year during monsoons.

In your dreams. I can already visualize the chaatwalas and sabziwallas setting up their stalls on the new and wide road dividers which as can be seen in one of the pics is already begining to fall apart.
The hawkers are already there.The ticket counter walls are already filled with paan stains and its always littered with dogs and beggars moving in and out.

The hawkers are already there.The ticket counter walls are already filled with paan stains and its always littered with dogs and beggars moving in and out.
:bash::bash::bash:

Efforts on to provide local AC trains
Kumod Verma, TNN, Aug 14, 2010, 01.43am IST

PATNA: Modernization has been a keynote to development in Indian Railways since 2001. Taking a step further to match modernization on a par with foreign railways, the railways has been toying with an idea to design and manufacture air conditioned (AC) coaches for suburban train services across the country.

It would prove to be a boon especially during summer for local passengers. According to a Railway Board official, this plan was initially approved for Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) a few years ago. But it could not materialize for one reason or the others. However, fresh efforts are on to provide AC local passenger trains at places where feasibility to run such trains is bright, he said.

The Board official admitted that the Research Designs and Standards Organization (RDSO), the research and design organization of the Indian Railways, has prepared a new blueprint for manufacturing AC local train coaches. It would be more suitable for running them in the city's suburban network areas. The cost for each AC bogie could go up to Rs 50 to Rs 60 lakh, he said.

According to RDSO director general K B L Mittal, the RDSO has successfully designed the AC local coach as per requirement of passengers. The RDSO is ready to manufacture an AC EMU (electrical multiple unit) bogie too. However, the final decision is either with the MRVC or Indian Railways in the matter, he said.

According to sources, the greatest problem with the AC local train is that doors need to be kept closed throughout the journey. At a place where number of commuters is too high or they are in the habit of travelling on footboard due to rush in the compartment, AC local trains would not be successful then.

Thus, the railways would have to give a thought before launching AC local trains on the crowded routes across the country, sources said, adding it is not feasible for Mumbai suburban trains as they are heavily crowded with passengers.

According to sources, the Western Railway (WR) had earlier converted a coach to an AC bogie at an additional cost of about Rs 17 lakh. It was introduced between Mumbai Central and Bandra for several days. Finally, this service was withdrawn as the WR did not get permission from higher authorities. Similarly, the proposed plan to run an AC local between Mumbai Terminal and Kalyan was rejected by the railways following protests from the passengers that the railways was simply wasting its resources, sources said.

Meanwhile, a Board official admitted that it is the need of the time to introduce AC local trains in suburban areas to cater to the needs of passengers on the pattern of foreign railways. Such experiments would yield positive results to the railways on less crowded routes, he said.


Read more: Efforts on to provide local AC trains - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/patna/Efforts-on-to-provide-local-AC-trains/articleshow/6308188.cms#ixzz158N7CorC
april 2010 news

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/WR-has-no-trains-left-to-ply-on-new-Virar-Dahanu-route/Article1-625062.aspx)
The Virar-Dahanu railway route is ready for the past six months but is still lying idle. There are no local train service from Virar to Dahanu. The 77,000 commuters on the stretch either take the shuttle service or mail express trains. Right now, the Western Railway (WR) administration doesn’t have trains to run on that stretch.

Sources in the WR said the stretch will not open before the end of 2011, when there would be enough trains for that stretch. “There is no set deadline to start trains on the Virar-Dahanu stretch. Our priority is to utilise the new trains for DC-AC conversion on Borivli-Churchgate stretch,” said Divisional Railway Manager, G Pillai.

They are waiting for the 26 new trains to be brought from Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in Chennai under phase-I of MUTP. “The commuters travel in shuttle services and mail express trains which run on fixed time. If suburban trains start running, then automatically the demand for more trains will go up,” said another WR official.

Last week, there was a meeting of the WR officials and Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee to discuss the problems on the Virar-Dahanu stretch. The authorities said they would also need more motormen to run trains on this stretch, which is equally lengthy as Churchgate-Virar. They are also looking at adjusting the schedules of outstation trains and freight goods trains coming via Panvel-Diva-Vasai stretch and towards Gujarat.

Its a nightmare taking the shuttle to Dahanu.

Train of woes: Commuters want comfort
Published: Thursday, Nov 11, 2010, 23:07 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/speakup/report_train-of-woes-commuters-want-comfort_1465378)

The recently-manufactured air-conditioned double decker coaches have caught the attention of the city’s commuters. They have now written to their manufacturers asking them to run it as suburban trains in the city.

The new swanky model, introduced last month by the Rail Coach Factory (RCF) in Kapurthala have been introduced in other parts of the country to run as long-distance trains.

“It is time for the next round of improvements in the existing suburban system. After all, it will deliver a far superior performance than the metro or mono-rail. People are even willing to pay more. The railways are scared of increasing the fares — particularly the price of the passes,” says Ashok Datar of Mumbai Environment Social Network. He is a part of a group of citizens who have shot off letters to the factory and the railway planning bodies in the city.

“If these trains are introduced it would be great. It would give Mumbai the much needed air-conditioned train,” says Subhash Gupta, of the Mumbai Yatri Sangh, another commuter organisation.

“We have not managed to provide the air conditioned commuter services on the existing suburban rail network. Though, it could be possible with the recent introduction of the coach. The railways have tried for quite some time to introduce such a service. But due to some critical difficulties this was not implemented. Now, if we make the long distance tracks fully available during the peak commuting hours, it should be easier to introduce AC trains between Virar and Church Gate and between Kalyan and CST,” the letter suggests.

“There could be fast trains stopping at only a few stations (may be two or three in between). There should be a conductor supported by the police inside each coach to ensure that the doors can close and people travel with valid tickets. Once commuters get used to it, we can, perhaps, do with only one railway policeman,” it adds.

Senior railway officials said that it could be difficult to run such trains as suburban locals immediately.

“First, these trains will require engines on both sides. Then the crowding pattern inside will be problematic. Passengers on the upper deck will face problems while coming down through the crowd while getting off the train. Mumbai suburban railways are heavily crowded. So we will have to examine any such proposal very carefully before implementing them,” says CR spokesperson SC Mudgerikar.

Senior WR officials said that the double deck train would have less capacity than their existing local trains. This is because no one would be allowed to stand in these trains and the carrying capacity would be restricted. There would also be technical problems of height, given the change in traction.

Raise the standard of public transport

The authorities have a lot of money and they can utilise it for the commuters’ benefit. But the budget doesn’t get utilised and ends up filling some people’s pockets. The standard of the public transport has to be raised so that more people are encouraged to travel by them. With people’s standard of living improving, many are opting to travel by private vehicles. This has only lead to traffic jams and more pollution. Therefore, if AC trains are introduced,people will not mind using them for their commute.
Sidharth Mishra, Malad

AC trains possible, but not practical

It is a fabulous idea as long as people maintain the trains and don’t litter or spit. AC trains are a good option with respect to safety. At least this way no one will be hanging out of the train. It is better to be packed into a crowded train than to be hanging out of one. AC trains are possible but not practical. The cost of an air conditioned train may be used for five other things that the railways are doing, that could be more essential. So you can’t really blame them. First and foremost, I want the railways to concentrate on safety.
Mustafa Lightwalla, Chembur

People want a fast and comfortable commute

Everything is possible if planned properly. With the rising temperature, I am sure people will be happy to travel in a fast and comfortable mode of transport. The number of people travelling by local trains is humongous and it is only going to increase. Therefore, accommodating all of them in a closed train might be difficult. The authorities will have to execute the plan well and make sure no mishaps occur. The railways should try and make our journey hassle-free. And introduce more compartments for women too.
Trupti Prabhu, Mulund

hmm i wonder if these people are living to pay the price for it....



also keep in mind that double decker train means getting in and off will take more time.

Ie trains will need to stop IMO 1minute than the current 30 seconds.(could be more than that as trains need to be closed)

Over a period distance from say borivali to churchagte that adds to about 10-15 minutes added to the commute.....

So your sacrificing time for potential comfort.(your still going to ride squished)

So maybe they can introduce them from Kurla and Bandra onwards ie start them from these stations towards the terminus....

Its a strict no no from places like Borivali

I would say it is a good idea if they limit the amount of commuters in a car. This can be done either by raising the price of tickets and having it replace the first class or by actually not allowing anyone to stand in the train. I see both ideas as very feasible and if we have double decker AC coaches attached to the train as first class, it will attract many car commuters who will want to escape the crowd.

I would say it is a good idea if they limit the amount of commuters in a car. This can be done either by raising the price of tickets and having it replace the first class or by actually not allowing anyone to stand in the train. I see both ideas as very feasible and if we have double decker AC coaches attached to the train as first class, it will attract many car commuters who will want to escape the crowd.

even first class is packed.

where are you going to push the extra first class people?

dont the double deckers in principle have a higher capacity? if we use them only on 15 car trains, keeping 10 second class and 5 first class we can probably make up some of the lost space. and these services will get popular soon. im telling you no matter what we do to improve signalling and frequency and length in the end the only thing we can do is add more tracks. either with the WR elevated or going underground or building an entirely new corridor.

I would say it is a good idea if they limit the amount of commuters in a car. This can be done either by raising the price of tickets and having it replace the first class or by actually not allowing anyone to stand in the train. I see both ideas as very feasible and if we have double decker AC coaches attached to the train as first class, it will attract many car commuters who will want to escape the crowd.

2-3 coaches in all trains is better than few full ac train they are planning..

dont the double deckers in principle have a higher capacity? if we use them only on 15 car trains, keeping 10 second class and 5 first class we can probably make up some of the lost space. and these services will get popular soon. im telling you no matter what we do to improve signalling and frequency and length in the end the only thing we can do is add more tracks. either with the WR elevated or going underground or building an entirely new corridor.

double deckers are a bad idea for a mas transit ... they have no standing space and so have less capacity than either metro or locals ... i am not sure about it but i dont think any metro system has double deckers ... though most good regional transit system (which goes for much longer distances - connects nearby cities like (say) mumbai and pune) are mostly double deckers

mumbai no scope of north south-metro. so locals are here to stay. add 2 ac coaches wih automatic doors and see fun..

Locals will stay but will be complemented by multiple N-S lines. See the Masterplan 2021 map of Mumbai metro on 1st page.

The situation is at a point where its saturated and with the number of commuters every single day, it doesn't matter what kind of coach you have, A/C, double decker, the rush is going to be terribly the same. An alternate mode of transportation and heavy road infrastructure can take the loads from the suburban trains.

and demolition of "illegal" slums by force and opening up this area to public space, something which is seriously lacking. with all the space we can build iconic towers, isbts, metros, rail lines, airports, and chuck out the people taking up space illegally! :D

Mumbai: Prompted by the rising number of deaths and accidents on tracks,Western Railway (WR) will construct as many as 40 new foot overbridges (FOBs),including the one at Vasai Road station which was commissioned on Saturday.WR already has 78 FOBs on its line.
Nearly 1,500 commuters either die or sustain injuries on the Western line every year.As many as 556 persons were injured and 236 lost their lives on tracks in 2010-2011.Officials of WR are hopefulthattheFOBswilldeter people from running across railways tracks.
Work on nine of the new FOBs is already underway at Dahisar,Naigaon,Mira Road,Bandra,Nalasopara,Goregaon,Vasai and Dadar stations.WR officials said that all the new FOBs would be ready by December 2011.
The two FOBsone at Borivli station and the other at Bandra terminuswill be exteded to cover more platforms by June 2011.Work on 13 FOBs will commence soon.These will come up at Virar,Mahalaxmi,Matunga,Kandivli,Goregaon,ElphinstoneRoad,Parel,Dadar,Vile Parle,Malad,Nalasopara,Khar and Bhayander stations.WR also plans to construct nine FOBs at Dadar,Bandra,Andheri,Khar Road,Borivli,Parel,Vile Parle and Santa Cruz stations.Officials are now lobbying for budgetary allocations for these.Of the 40,seven are in different stages of planning.Threeof thesewouldbebuild by the BMCtwo between Jogeshwari and Goregaon stations and one between Borivli and Dahisar stations.

Borivli FOB closed for repairs

T he FOB at Borivli station (South) has been closed for repairs.In order to avoid inconveniencing the commuters,WR has allowed passengers to use the subway.TNN

Source TOI Today Mumbai

SOURCE (http://news.in.msn.com/national/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4585222)
Survey for Panvel-Thal passenger rail service soon

New Delhi, Nov 16 (PTI) Railways have decided to conduct a feasibility study for introducing a passenger service between Panvel and Thal in Maharashtra.
In an assurance to the Parliament Committee on Petitions, the Railways have said that the survey is likely to be completed within a period of about six months.
The committee headed by Anant G Geete has received a representation from D K Khanvilkar, ex-MLA, and advocate VK Naik regarding introduction of passenger service between Panvel and Thal.
Besides passenger service, petitioners have also asked for a railway station constructed near Thal for which is land already available.
Railway Ministry has maintained that the 26-km long Panvel-Thal track is a private siding of Rail Coach factory (RCF) which is meant for movement of goods traffic and the same is not for running of passenger services as it was not commercially viable.
However, the committee observed that every time commercial viability of a project may not necessarily be the sole criteria for introduction of new train service in some part of the country.
The committee said, "one of the important aspects may be the socio-economic consideration of the area for opening up of new train service in some part of the country.
The committee observed that the area has the potential to develop as a big commercial hub as well as a tourists destination not only for the people in the country but also for tourists from abroad.
The committee, which tabled the report today in parliament, noted that the railways have agreed to conduct the survey for the proposed project.

Mumbai: Prompted by the rising number of deaths and accidents on tracks,...station (South) has been closed for repairs.In order to avoid inconveniencing the commuters,WR has allowed passengers to use the subway.TNN


Close all access to tracks first.

^^ ALLOWED access? saale bhenchod this shud be mandatory not allowed

DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_two-more-tunnels-through-parsik-hills_1467260)
Two more tunnels through Parsik hills

After several years of construction, the 5th and 6th rail line project on the Central Railway has reached a crucial stage where the authorities will now have to build parallel tunnels and viaducts as the construction crosses over from Mumbai to Kalyan.

The railways are building a separate corridor for outstation and goods trains between Kurla and Kalyan under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project.

While work between Kalyan and Diva has been completed, the work from Thane to Kurla is more than 70% complete. Work on the crucial link between Thane and Diva that will comprise tunnels and viaducts has now begun. The railways have finalised two tunnels in Parsik hills and three small viaducts over the Thane creek to complete the project by 2014.

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation that is coordinating the project said that it will have to bore through the Parsik hills and build viaducts similar to the existing ones over the Thane creek bridge. The original line was built by the British in 1853.

“The slow line will have an additional pair of rails so that the fast train tracks can be exclusively used by outstation and goods trains. For this, we will have to bore through the Parsik hills to construct a tunnel, adjacent to the old tunnel between Mumbra and Kalwa.

Currently, the slow trains take a detour along the hills whereas the fast trains take the Parsik tunnel route skipping Kalwa and Mumbra stations. Both these lines get separated before Kalwa station and meet each other few metres before Diva station.

“We have done a geo-technical study and found that the rock in the mountains is very solid and can easily bear its weight. The tunnel will be made through controlled blasts and boring,” he added.

The tunnel will be about 165 metres long and 13 metres wide, just to accommodate two lines and bear all features for air-circulation with ventilation shafts.

The viaducts will be built parallel to the existing lines over the Thane creek with the latest engineering technologies. The three new viaducts one after the other between Thane and Kalwa will allow segregating suburban trains from outstation trains, to avoid delays, detentions and mixing of traffic.

The next phase of the project will be to take this out-station train corridor all the way to Mumbai CST. Planning for it has begun

Mumbai: The purple and white MRVC-Siemens trains,which have changed the face of suburban travel in and around Mumbai,are the reason why there are fewer track and rake-related failures,say Western Railway (WR) officials.
According to officials,there has been a 30% drop in the number of failures detected at car sheds per month.The snags,which averaged around eight in the older DC rakes,have dropped to around 6.6.Besides,the number of failures recorded while a train is running has also come down from 4-6 a month to 3-4.
A major advantage of the new rakes is that they are ACDC compatible,which is important as both WR and Central Railway are converting from DC to AC section wise.WR chief PRO Sharat Chandrayan said the air-braking suspension system,which responds differently during peak and anti-peak load,has led to a reduction in track,EMU underframes and pantograph failures.The new trains also have a better riding comfort of around 70% and a higher speed potential of 100 kmph, he said.The air-braking suspension system was introduced in 2001 and replicated in the new trains under MUTP-I,he added.
Commuters,though,have complained that the new rakes rattle and sway when the train is relatively empty.WR is still awaiting the 105th rake even as the train next in line (106th) has already reached the city.The delay,as reported by TOI earlier,was due to some crucial parts having gone missing.The 105th rake will be the first one with bolster-less suspension.

Source (http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/11/20/ArticleHtmls/Comfort-travel-for-CR-commuters-20112010007002.shtml?Mode=1), Article (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Comfort-travel-for-CR-commuters/Article1-628654.aspx)

http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/8891/20112010007002.jpg

Except station infrastructure they are upgrading everything, hope they demolish those old CR/WR station and build like harbour line(Navi Mumbai) stations. They are pretty nice.

from Kolkata Metro Updates thread:
http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/9931/spa0110k.jpg

http://img811.imageshack.us/img811/112/spa0111.jpg


From what I have been told these rakes have been made by ICF. Our ICF. Does anyone know the capacity and cost of these trains compared to our swanky millenium dabbas?

^^ Ask this ques in Kolkata metro thread

^^Cost of each a/c rake is Rs 37 Crores and carrying capacity is maximum 2800 persons.

These are for 8 car AC rakes. How much cost/capacity are ours?

Capacity is around 1800 for a 9-car, real number of persons in train is 5000 approx. Cost: If you google it or wiki it, you will find out, or simply browse through some old pages of these threads and I am sure you will find the costs.

^^

These are for 8 car AC rakes. How much cost/capacity are ours?

you are right, mumbai locals dont have wide standing place in middle, which would have higher capacity and easier move around too.

Check this link out:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mumbai_Suburban_Railway

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/mrvc-postpones-bid-document-date-for-new-rakes/695432/0

this article claims that the new 12 car rakes coming in are to be 20 crores each. this is without ac or doors and the capacity is still relatively less.

if capacity is supposed to be 1800 for 9 cars then 12 cars will fit 2400, in reality probably more. using these new 8 car trains (which will cost almost double for ac and doors) we can soak up alot more capacity. i suggest that we use such cars in first class at first, because while the crowd is still pretty high, more people will want to travel in AC and probably are willing to pay a bit more for it. it will encourage people who drive cars now to opt for public transport without creating the need to extend platforms to 15 car capacity.

we can even have 2 classes: 1st class ac, regular first class, and second class. the middle/upper middle will find the ac option a convenient and attractive one, provided the feeder services (metro, monorail, BEST) are properly connected with stations.


this is of course assuming that kolkata metro and mumbai suburban both use broad gauge.

^^ Kolkata metro is third rail DC.

The path between seats should be wider for more capacity and easy movement of passengers inside:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a2/Mumbai_India_Train.JPG/800px-Mumbai_India_Train.JPG
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mumbai_India_Train.JPG

[....
http://img600.imageshack.us/img600/8891/20112010007002.jpg

finally the thane kurla 5-6 route will happen in december.


That means to people who dont know a lot of out of station trains ending at Kurla terminus will not interfere with the running of the suburban services.

The trains to Mumbai CST on the eastern side will certainly still continue to ply.


In a nutshell the frequency of the Thane-CST/Dadar will increase dramatically running more services and increasing capacity by 20%.


If they complete tracks 5-6 from Thane to Kalyan and Kurla to CST it will automatically increase capacity by 40%-50% even with the same rake configuration.

as it will mean freeing up a track for dedicated fast trains (which the out of station trains were occupying) and also more tracks.


So i can see a frequency of one fast train every 2 min in the rush hours and a big increase in speed if CST to Kalyan or Ambernath takes lanes 5-6. A thane to CST fast train on a dedicated track will cut down time from 42 minutes currently to about 35 min.

Infact is really gay that they took so long to figure it out that out of station trains may need a track of their own not interfeiong with the regular suburban fast track.

and a dedicated out of station track also means that more services possible to bangalore chennai pune hyderabad.

Churchgate station platform extension and roof being extended
http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/956ce3c1f9.jpg (http://www.freeimagehosting.net/)

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/World-Bank-pulls-out-of-public-meet-on-MUTP-III/Article1-633345.aspx)
World Bank pulls out of public meet on MUTP III

Citizens’ may not get a chance to give the railways their views on future projects under phase III of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) and the World Bank were to hold a public meeting in January, to get suggestions on possible projects under MUTP-III but the World Bank has backed out of the meeting. “The World Bank has backed out due to lack of funds. We will have to see how we can go ahead with this meeting,” said PC Sehgal, managing director, MRVC.

The World Bank is funding MUTP I and has also signed an agreement for funding Rs 1,910 crore for the second phase in July.

Under the third phase, the railways have proposed a link between Bandra and Kurla, a suburban line on the Virar-Vasai-Diva-Panvel section, a fast corridor along the Harbour line and extending the Harbour line from Goregaon to Borivli.

The project also includes an additional third and fourth lines on the Virar-Dahanu stretch, the fifth and sixth lines on the Borivli-Virar stretch, augmenting the numbers of 15-coach trains and running of 12-15 coach trains on the Harbour line.

The Central Railway, meanwhile, has proposed to build foot over-bridges at 10 stations - at Sion, Parel, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Kalva, Diva, Kopar, Govandi and Tilak Nagar - for Rs 10 crore.

The CR has also given permission for sticking advertisements on the new purple-white trains on trial basis, three years after they were first introduced. If successful, they will allow ads to be pasted in all 44 rakes at an annual cost of Rs 20 lakh.

Mumbai: Central Railways (CR) will introduce 12-coach trans-harbour services on December 7.Three weeks after the launch,on December 21,14 additional services on the harbour lines Wadala Road-Vashi-Belapur-Panvel route will be kickstarted.
While the new CR general manager,Kul Bhushan,had announced these services two weeks ago at a press conference,he did not mention a specific date.He had said that the 12-coach trans-harbour services would begin in the first week of December and the additional services on the Wadala Road-Panvel line would start in the last week of December.
The Thane-Vashi sector would become the first on the harbour line to run 12-car trains.Currently,all harbour trains are nine-car.CR,though,proposed to run 12-car trains on the line under MUTP-II.
The proposal is currently under the Railway Boards active consideration,said a railway official.
On December 1,the Kalyan-CST ladies special ninecar train was augmented to 12 cars.It was one of the 10 other services to be beefed up that day.
When CR converts 128 out of the 208 trans-harbour services to 12-car from nine,the total number of coaches run per day on this section would rise to 2,250 from 1,872.Considering 300 passengers,on an average,ride on a single coach,this increase would create an additional capacity of 1,13,400 passengers per day in the segment.
The 14 additional harbour services will increase the harbour line services to 580 from 566 and the daily coaches on the harbour line would grow to 5,220 from 5,094 per day.This would mean additional capacity of 37,800 passengers per day.
CRs chief PRO V A Malegaonkar said rakes in on the trans-harbour corridor would be augmented in batches starting Tuesday.

Source
TOI Today Mumbai

‘No new stations on Virar-Dahanu stretch, builder promise incorrect’
Published: Saturday, Dec 4, 2010, 0:21 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA

The Virar-Dahanu section is ready to run direct trains between Churchgate and Dahanu. Builders and real estate agents are using this to woo people by saying new stations have been planned on the 60-km stretch between Virar and Dahanu, where in reality there is no such plans.

The railways on Friday denied categorically of any plans on opening new stations in the section. “There are no plans at all and no sanctions to open any new station. However, given the developments happening in the region, the railways should be planning quadrupling (four-rail tracks) in the region,” managing director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Dr PC Sehgal told DNA.

“The money generated from stamp duty etc should be diverted to build a rail line. If quadrupling is not done now, it will be a bad situation later,” he said.

Suburban trains on the Western Railway as of today ply on the 60km distance between Churchgate and Virar which had led to massive urbanisation and formation of small townships along the city border in Virar and Vasai. The project has been held up due to lack of trains.

“Trains to Dahanu will happen some time next year. Right now, we do not have enough trains to run on the line. But even if we run trains there, it will be a few,” WR general manager Ravindra Nath Verma said.

“The state should try and develop a central business district beyond Virar so that the crowd beyond Virar does not travel to Mumbai and the flow of crowd changes direction. There is huge scope for development around the place. This is the time for planning,” said a railway official.

Pravin Shah, a real estate agent at Dahanu, said the state has plans for MMR and transport connectivity will be improved. “The distance between two stations is a lot and new stations are bound to come up.”

A large amount of unexplored land will now be opened for development and a large number of construction and housing projects have lined up in the area. At present, the 60-km stretch between Virar and Dahanu has seven stations, including Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar and Vangaon.

There are several low-cost housing projects in the area. “Right now, those travelling by local train anywhere in Mumbai and wanting to ply beyond Virar have to switch trains at Virar for something called a mainline electric multiple unit
and diesel multiple unit trains. These trains ply between Virar-Dahanu, Dahanu-Dombivli and Dahanu-Panvel with limited frequency,” he added.

which station in mumbai has highest no of platforms?????

I guess Chhatrapti Shivaji Teminus (CST) with 17 platforms

Howrah is the largest station in India in number of platforms (23) followed by Old Delhi (19), Sealdah and CST (17 each), New Delhi (16), Chennai Central (15).

^^ Usne sirf Mumbai stations ka puchha hai and btw Old Delhi ke 18 he shayad (See this pic (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dilliwalah/825702524/sizes/l/))

^^ Usne sirf Mumbai stations ka puchha hai and btw Old Delhi ke 18 he shayad (See this pic (http://www.flickr.com/photos/dilliwalah/825702524/sizes/l/))

Doesn't 1-18 plus 1A equal 19? :dunno:

Is 1A platform in Old Delhi is not on platform 1? If yes then it may be 19. I was not sure about it that's why I said shayad (I think so). I've seen Secunderabad station in which the platform no.s 6 & 7 were divided as 6A, 6B, 7A and 7B. (To accomodate MMTS) Still you will call it as 2 platforms not 4.

1A is different from 1.

^^ Thanks. Phir to 19 hai. Its really a huge station and the largest I've seen.

Source (http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Publications/HT/HM/2010/12/06/ArticleHtmls/Kurla-Thane-to-get-two-more-railway-lines-06122010005010.shtml?Mode=1), Article (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Kurla-Thane-to-get-two-more-railway-lines-by-month-end/Article1-634891.aspx)

http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/7936/06122010005010.jpg

^^ Thanks. Phir to 19 hai. Its really a huge station and the largest I've seen.

ugliest, dirtiest compared to New Delhi railway station.

ugliest, dirtiest compared to New Delhi railway station.

+1 (though New Delhi stn itself is not in a very great shape). Only good thing about it is its external building which looks like a fort, rest all is fart.

Source (http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Publications/HT/HM/2010/12/08/ArticleHtmls/72-NEW-TRAINS-Court-rejects-German-firm%E2%80%99s-extension-08122010010013.shtml?Mode=1), Article (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Court-rejects-German-firm-s-extension-plea-to-submit-bid/Article1-635765.aspx)

http://img703.imageshack.us/img703/2076/08122010010013.jpg

HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/Increase-train-services-on-Virar-Dahanu-stretch/Article1-634550.aspx)
Even though the deadline to begin running suburban trains on the first corridor of Virar-Dahanu has not been set, the project planning and implementing agency of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) wants railways to start work as soon as possible. Sources at MRVC feel that increasing services on the 63-km stretch is important for Western Railway (WR), if they want to keep pace with the developmental work in that region. There are several housing projects in the anvil on this stretch, with many big developers already making announcements.

"If quadrupling services isn't done now then it will become very difficult for railways, when the number of commuters coming to the city increases," said a senior MRVC official, on condition of anonymity as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

Around 77,000 commuters come into the city daily from places like Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar and Vangaon using the train services.

At the recent press conference, the general manager of WR, RN Verma said there can be no deadline for starting suburban services. "There aren't enough rakes available at the moment. Even after services begin, limited number of trains will run," he said.

Mumbai's harbour railway line completes a century today

DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_mumbai-s-harbour-railway-line-completes-a-century-today_1480070)

Mumbai’s harbour line turns 100 on Sunday. The first section to run trains on the harbour line was officially opened on December 12, 1910, exactly a century ago, between Kurla and Reay Road stations.

Today’s grade one heritage building of Reay Road station was the original rail terminus and from there one had to take the electric tram-car to continue the journey further to Mumbai.

Today, the harbour line connects the satellite cities of Navi Mumbai and Thane and on Saturday, the Central Railway introduced more 12-car trains on the line. The harbour line, on which more than ten lakh passengers travel daily between 38 stations, has seen a huge growth since it was taken to Navi Mumbai.

The section was opened as a double line and not much has changed ten decades later, except for the fact that it’s today much more crowded, and electric trains run up and down the line at a four-minute headway as compared to hourly steam-powered trains back in the day.

“It was a red-letter day in the history of the Indian Railways. It was immediately two years after its opening in 1912 that a plan to build an overhead railway from Reay Road to Sandhurst Road and Mumbai VT was finalised. The outbreak of the first world war in 1914 delayed work due to want of funds and difficulty in getting girders shipped from England,” writes late railway historian Dr AK Arora in his book History of Bombay Suburban Railways (1853-1985).

The book, published by the chief electrical engineer of Central Railway, further adds that the work of extending the line further to Mumbai VT was completed along with its electrification and opened up in 1925 to become the first electric railway in India.

“It all started in 1885 with the opening of Victoria Dock by the Governor of Bombay Lord Reay (after whom the station is named) following rise in sea trade,” says another book on the Port of Bombay, published by the Mumbai Port Trust during their centenary in 1973.

As trade increased, a need was felt for quicker transport with increased capacity and hence a scheme for a separate port or a harbour railway from Kurla was first thought of in 1894, it adds

Heritage railway stations neglected, vandalised but authorities look awayPublished: Saturday, Dec 11, 2010, 3:01 IST
By Rajendra Aklekar | Place: Mumbai | Agency: DNA (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_heritage-railway-stations-neglected-vandalised-but-authorities-look-away_1479566)

The city’s heritage railway stations are being vandalised and abused, but their keepers continue to turn a blind eye to the state they are in.

The city has five listed railway heritage structures: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Western Railway (WR) headquarters building opposite Churchgate station, and Byculla, Reay Road and Bandra stations. While CST is a Unesco-listed World Heritage Site, the WR headquarters building has also managed to enter its tentative list. The other three are unique for their architecture and importance in the city’s railway history.

CST is an outstanding example of Victorian Gothic Revival architecture, blended with themes deriving from Indian traditional architecture. The site is today surrounded by hawkers with no protection in the form of any buffer zone. Some of them have even hammered nails into this iconic building to put up their wares for display.

Railway officials say that the building is used by lakhs of commuters daily and monitoring such huge crowds is difficult. CR has taken up conservation and restoration of the monument worth Rs16 crore in two phases. “We conduct regular drives against hawkers and beggars,” CR spokesperson Ashok Singh said.

Tasneem Mehta, eminent conservationist and chairperson of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (Intach), said that one of Unesco’s mandatory requirements is the establishment of a monitoring committee with city leaders and experts. The railways have failed to constitute such a committee.

The WR headquarters building is less abused since it has restricted public access. But conservationists blame WR for applying paint on the building and damaging the station’s original look. “Paint does not allow stone to breathe and sets in damage,” a conservation architect said.

Restoration of Bandra’s old heritage structure has just been completed. All artificial partitions and walls have been reinstated in accordance with how the British had built them. But commuters today have spoilt them again with paan stains and spit marks. They have gone unpunished because of a lack of monitoring.

“Some of the smaller stations in the suburbs, too, are beautiful and have heritage value. In fact, when the heritage list is updated, they should include these,” city historian Sharada Dwivedi said.

The worst condition is that of Reay Road. Once a terminus on the harbour line, the grade-I heritage structure is a sign of utter neglect. Dwellers in and around the station have damaged the structure. The elevated station has a clock embedded in its facade, which now houses the booking office.

The letters GIPR, elaborated as the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the country’s first rail line, can still be seen on either side of the station.

Refuting allegations of neglect, Singh said, “The station is maintained regularly. CR will take all efforts to restore its original look. We will explore what best can be done for it.” Officials said they are working with the BMC to evict dwellers and they have elaborate plans to restore the station. Byculla station is another such station on the heritage list which requires some restoration

After protest, WR to reduce train gap time to 3 minutes
HT (http://www.hindustantimes.com/After-protest-WR-to-reduce-train-gap-time-to-3-minutes/Article1-637023.aspx)

The Western Railway (WR) is planning to reduce the time gap between trains running from Virar to Borivli from five to three minutes. This is one of the demands of the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) who on Friday converted the 11.27 am Virar-Churchgate as ‘protesters-only-train’.

Carrying flags and billboards on Friday, they boarded the train.

About 2,000 people participated in the protest but it fizzled out when they tried to agitate in the train travelling towards Churchgate.

Their shouts were silenced due to the crowd of commuters inside the coaches of the 12-car train. Slogans were heard only at Virar and Churchgate stations. “We will continue our protests till our demands are met,” said Shailendra Kamble, secretary of DYFI.

Commuters shut the protestors up who were shouting slogans. “It’s already crowded. So don’t unnecessary shout,” said a commuter in a crowded second-class compartment at Borivli station.

Slogans were heard only when a train neared a station. The protestors got down at Churchgate station and assembled holding banners, flags and placards voicing their demands.

They were then taken to Azad Maidan in police vans. Around 4 pm, members of DYFI came to meet the general manager of WR, RN Verma but he was in Delhi, which resulted in brief altercation with the railway officials inside the building. “We asked them to submit a formal memorandum of demands to us which they weren’t carrying,” added the WR official.

The WR that runs 1,210 services everyday on the suburban section runs around 30% of its trains between Borivli and Virar. There are 19 pairs of passenger trains, including shuttle services, up to Dahanu. "We are bringing down the headway between Borivli and Virar to three minutes. At this stage we wouldn't be able to give a certain date when the headway would be reduced," said chief PRO, Sharat Chandrayan of WR.

After this, there is scope for them to even increase the services if needed, thus bringing further relief to the section.

“There are some problems pertaining to re-spacing of signals at certain stretches between Borivli-Virar, which are in the process of being rectified,” said a senior WR official on condition of anonymity.

Were fire hydrants at Mumbai CST non-functional?

If fire department officials are to be believed, the fire hydrant system at Mumbai CST, the city’s prime railway terminus that sees lakhs of footfalls every day, was reportedly non-functional.

Officials said they tried to make it work, but did not waste time and brought in reinforcements, alleging that railways were playing with the lives of commuters. A day after the incident, Central Railway officials said that all the hydrants at Mumbai CST will be inspected.

The 30 cylinders stored in the godown, more in the canteen on the station and the welding gas cylinders, which were recovered, had been stored near the air-conditioning plant, which would have blown up the iconic building.

Vidyadhar Malegaonkar, CR chief spokesperson said that the divisional manager had ordered inspection of all the fire hydrants at the station. Railway officials said that the system was functional and that the fire department did not make enough effort.

“The temporary shed set up at the site will also be removed. We are awaiting the report of the three-member investigation committee that is expected to submit it in a day or two,” Malegaonkar added.

SOURCE (http://www.dnaindia.com/mumbai/report_thane-mental-hospital-may-make-way-for-rail-terminus_1480933)
The Central Railway and the Thane Municipal Corporation officials are close to inking a deal to acquire the 13 hectares plot of the 150-year-old mental hospital for a new terminus station between Mulund and Thane.

Top divisional railway officials said the general manager Kul Bhushan and Thane commissioner RA Rajeev had a meeting on the issue. It has been primarily decided to use the space freed not just for a rail terminus, but also other existing public transport utilities like the BEST and TMT (Thane Municipal Transport) bus depots and for the upcoming Metro and Monorail stations.

The station would come up on the west side of Thane where slow suburban trains could halt.

“The proposal has been on hold for a decade with local politicians trying hard to push for it, but has not met with any success so far. The meeting between thetwo officials has again revived the plans,” the official added.

He said that the general manager would now visit the spot for inspection before any decision is taken.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HM/2010/12/17/Article//003/17_12_2010_003_008.jpg