We have Mumbai Metro and Mumbai Monorail Discussion threads. But no thread for Mumbai Railways Discussions and Updates.

I am starting one here.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/10/02/002/02_10_2008_002_005.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

________

Here's a website where one can plan their trips:

http://www.go4mumbai.com/

Good job. Perhaps you should call it Mumbai suburban railway.

Finally, this work is starting. They were taking so long that there were encroachments coming up in places where they had already cleared.

This should increase the system capacity by atleast 50%. Thats a huge deal. I hope they comeplete the Thane-Diwa section quickly too. That way, the people from Kalyan and farther away will be really convenienced.

Hopefully, they have improved signalling on the new lines so that they can increase the frequency too.

Yeah from the article, it says after 12 years!!! Just Imagine man--- 12 years taken to make such change. How many years will it take for a Developed city?

This should increase the system capacity by atleast 50%. Thats a huge deal. I hope they comeplete the Thane-Diwa section quickly too. That way, the people from Kalyan and farther away will be really convenienced.

Hopefully, they have improved signalling on the new lines so that they can increase the frequency too.

Mumbai already has a very advanced signalling system. The new tracks would, like the older ones, have Automatic Signalling which boosts the capacity heavily. The new tracks would be exclusive for freight/expresses.

The TNA-DIVA section will take a long time. They have to bye-pass the Parsik hill range. From sources, it is known that the new tracks (5th & 6th lines) would be parallel to the "Slow" lines and would run via Mumbra. The existing "fast" line would be handed over for freight/express operations.

I don't know why we need this thread. As it is there no progress on Mumbai metro project.:bash: Anyway there is no development/new projects expected on the suburban railway.

there seem to be some progress happening, new rakes, new tracks, increasing frequency and capacity. I was thinking why there was no such thread before......

Long Back when I was studying at IIT (1998-2000), I remember seeing the 5th and 6th lines between Kanjur Marg and Ghatkopar (or probably Vidyavihar). In fact the rails were completely rusted and covered by weeds. That makes me wonder for how long this project has been going on?

downunder, i think the 5th and 6th lines there were for the rake shed.. i may be wrong..

^^^^

That is another possibility qwertasd, although at that time, my friends in Mumbai told me about the capacity enhancement using those lines. Whatever the case, the question is will they use/convert those lines into 5th and 6th lines, since I am hoping they still exist.

Should have titled the thread as Pictures as well. Here's a cool picture of the train:

http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/1327/90988811nw4.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img377.imageshack.us/img377/90988811nw4.jpg/1/w469.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img377/90988811nw4.jpg/1/)

Source: Rammorrisson

Cross posting from the other thread:

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Photographs/2008/09/29/004/29_09_2008_004_013_007.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Crossposting from other thread

Four years later, Sewri-Uran rail link back on track (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/Four_years_later_Sewri-Uran_rail_link_back_on_track/articleshow/3582026.cms)
also posted on the mthl thread

Mumbai to get 129 trains by June 2010

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/News_By_Industry/Transportation/Railways/Mumbai_to_get_129_trains_by_June_2010/articleshow/3571143.cms

Despite initial delays, the Chennai-based Integral Coach Factory is on track to meet the deadline of June 2010 to provide 129 trains of 12 coaches each, officials said here on Tuesday.

The trains which are being introduced on the city's suburban rail network as part of the World Bank-funded Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), have new features including air blowers, greater accelerations and better interiors.

"By this year we will supply 41 new rakes and the next year we will meet the target of 60 trains in one year," B P Singh, Chief Mechanical Engineer at ICF said.

The designs were finalised and additional staff recruited on contract to fasten the manufacture of trains, he said.
One more exception of the new rake was that it did not have a long gestation period as a prototype and had been introduced in the live scenario almost immediately after being developed, Lalit Sahore, Chief Electrical Engineer, ICF said.

"About six months back we were worried about how the Railways was managing and saw there could be slippage in delivery but we are now satisfied with the work," Hubert Josserand, Senior Urban Transport Specialist with the World Bank said.

The World Bank had not received a formal request from the Maharashtra government to fund MUTP Phase-II yet, but they had begun reviewing the working of the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, the nodal organisation for implementing the railway component of MUTP, he said.

Its more of the same crappy rakes!

I would like to see how the new trains are. It looks good in the picture.

The MMRDA, which is currently awaiting written communication from the Centre to kick-start work on the second Metro rail route — Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd— in the city, is now faced with a series of challenges on the third metro corridor between Colaba and Mahim in the planning stage itself.


read more .. exchange (http://www.exchange4projects.com/RAIL/mumbai-metro-line-3-on-trouble-run)

This is just a Mumbai Railways thread. Go to Mumbai Metro thread for putting updates in there...

http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/1391/ht1de9.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img374.imageshack.us/img374/ht1de9.jpg/1/w942.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img374/ht1de9.jpg/1/)
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/2028/ht2bz6.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img135.imageshack.us/img135/ht2bz6.jpg/1/w731.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img135/ht2bz6.jpg/1/)

Source: Hindustan Times

Hey thats great!

Now do the same with the other stations.

Btw, whats is going on with VT station? When will the work on its repairs, restoration begin?

TO be honest, I haven't heard of any construction updates on VT station since last year. I did see some construction workers on the roof in one of the pictures in some newspapers. But recently, I haven't heard of any updates.

Oh dear! Dragging their feet again or looks like it has stalled.

Thanks for the up-date bhargav.

Crosspost from Suncity:



Local passing through Navi Mumbai

photo copyright Sanchayan

http://img529.imageshack.us/img529/156/mumbailocalsanchayansc8.jpg (http://imageshack.us)

Crosspost from Suncity:

Is this train going in circle?? LOL!!.. neway, good pic.. Love the greens around it.. Even mumbai has only 9 and 12 car units for its suburban like chennai?!?! thats disgusting for its population!

i think the new rolling stock which they are bringing on are 12 car units, the old ones only had 9....

^^^^

AFAIK, almost all the older trains had 12 coaches as well. At least that's what it was since the last time I traveled in those trains in 2003.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/11/03/006/03_11_2008_006_004.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

that train in the circular path looks like its going really fast like the Meriden.

Rajdhani Express may soon stop at Andheri



A survey by Western Railway (WR) and NGO Humlog has revealed that an overwhelmingly large number of passengers want the Rajdhani Express to halt at Andheri station. Over 75 per cent of Rajdhani's passengers, according to the survey, are from the stretch between Bandra and Borivli.

"We realised this after we checked the addresses of passengers travelling by Rajdhani and the August Kranti Rajdhani Express," a senior WR official said.

The official added, "A proposal has been sent to the Railway Board. Passengers on the Rajdhani have to come all the way to Mumbai Central to board the train. Andheri would be more convenient."

Advocate Vijay Singh from Humlog said, "We have requested that the Rajdhani halt at Bandra Terminus, but till that happens, it can stop at Andheri." Singh added that the halt would also minimise traffic congestion in the Western suburbs.

Andheri resident Neelam Gupta is hoping the proposal goes through. She said, "How will the railways suffer if they halt the train at Andheri just for a minute?" Gupta has to leave her home at 1.30 pm to board the 4.50 pm Rajdhani from Mumbai Central.

C P Sharma, divisional railway manager, WR, said, "I'll make it a point to bring this to the Railway ministry's notice."

Source: Mid-day.com

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2008/11/04/005/04_11_2008_005_009.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Is this what they have in mind? :)

http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/3575/drasticnm6.jpg (http://img357.imageshack.us/my.php?image=drasticnm6.jpg)
http://img357.imageshack.us/img357/drasticnm6.jpg/1/w340.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img357/drasticnm6.jpg/1/)

ridiculous. what about all the current bridges over the railway lines? how are they going to have ramps on and off the flyover? how will construction take place without severe disruptions to bombay's lifeline? what about the metro at andheri?

so much rubbish is floated around, its unbelievable

^^first time I am going to agree with you.

might as well go out on a high. burn your computer

My question is how are they going to implement Metro and Monorail. They both will be east west connectivity.

If they want to do it, do it underground. Will be better. I think they need to revamp all the stations first and make it to the best interiors, security facilities, baggage scanners, computerized tickets, and better seating facilities.

What i am hoping is with the advent of metro + monorail, people will demand more comfort from suburban railway as well - but i dont see it going anywhere in the near future, as long as control is in the hands of central government.

A few months ago, I was thinking, "what if they build the railways underground in such a way that each line runs below the main suburban railway line?"

But this thing is way out of our government's reach. A few months from now, the project will be talked on paper, but nothing will be implemented and the talks will disappear like a smoke in the air.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Photographs/2008/11/10/003/10_11_2008_003_008_007.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

The introduction of these 23 services has been handled in a very bad manner. Lots of existing services too were tinkered with.

And to top it all, WR did not release any timings of the new services and changes made to the existing services.

How typical man!!

What about plans to introduce AC coaches?

What about plans to introduce AC coaches?

That will take a long time, at least 3-4 years more.

Crossposting:
Interiors of the new rakes for Mumbai suurban:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2282/2240793121_6114306714_b.jpg (http://flickr.com/photos/akshaywcam1/)

New Energy Savings Trains to be introduced by 2010

After introducing the German technology new-age rakes, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is all set to offer Mumbai commuters a new set of trains with swanky interiors.



A set of 96 new 9-coach trains, which will roll out under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase-2 by 2010, will have aesthetic and energy-friendly material adorning the interiors of the local trains.

Swanky interiors

The MRVC has engaged the National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad, to design the interiors and give it a better look with materials that are lighter in weight and tougher in strength, thereby reducing the overall weight of the bogies. The NID is expected to provide the new designs and materials in a year and a half.

"We use stainless steel inside the coaches, as it is corrosion free. But stainless steel puts a lot of load on the bogies. We want to offer coaches with better interiors and made with lighter materials," said PC Sehgal, MRVC managing director.

"The aim is to help conserve energy and we hope the NID comes up with a design that would cater to this condition," added Sehgal.

157
New-age rakes were introduced on WR and CR under phase-1

The trains we use now...
The trains that are currently used by CR and WR were manufactured by the Integral coach factory, Chennai, in collaboration with Germany-based Siemens company. The rakes have several features like forced ventilation, jerk-free rides, better lighting, improved looks and quicker acceleration and braking.

Source: Mid-day

The interior for the new rakes is decent. Love the LCD displays - they're a must in every mode of public transport. Now the only two things left are AC and automatic doors. Once they manage to increase the frequency of the trains (after the addition of the 2 new tracks), the crowds will be more manageable and these additions will become more feasible.

In my frank opinion, all the talks of new hi-tech rakes is Bull shit. The technology used for the running equipment is excellent, no doubt about that. But one close look at the quality will dispel all thoughts of of "hi-tech". The quality is extremely bad, and it is getting worse with time.

Expansion plans on track Source: TOI Epaper (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIM/2008/11/19&PageLabel=6&EntityId=Ar00600&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Mumbai: Railway officials hope that several schemes in the pipeline and others that have been already executed will decongest crowded suburban trains and stations. A proposal to have trains originate from and terminate at Grant Road is among the latest plans on the drawing board to ease the commute for lakhs of passengers.
New services, more platforms and augmenting nine-car services to 12-car ones are all part of the moves aimed at decongesting local stations and trains. Four services were introduced last week on the newly inaugurated Dahanu-Panvel line. Another 20 services, to be added when the Nerul-Turbhe line opens in December, will benefit more than 75,000 passengers.
Plans to help commuters leave or access stations easily are also on the table. “In the next five years, WR plans to have skywalks at all major stations,’’ said chief PRO (WR) S S Gupta.
A few days ago, WR introduced 23 new services on the overcrowded Churchgate-Virar sector. These new services were part of plans to add 200 services in 2009. Gupta said that of the remaining new services, most would be on the Dadar-Virar and Andheri-Bandra sectors, though a few would go up to Churchgate.
In the next three months, work on the Dadar midtown terminus will be completed. “The midtown terminus will cater to non-suburban trains first and then gradually to locals. There are also proposals for two new suburban platforms at a cost of Rs 5 crore at Dadar,’’ said Gupta. He added that the new platforms would boost the capacity of the station. This project, along with the Grant Road station expansion plan, will be submitted to the railway board in the next financial year.
Gupta said there are plans for two additional terminals at Andheri too, since there is only one terminating platform there.
WR, which presently carries 33 lakh commuters daily, anticipates a growth in traffic. “There are plans to convert all nine-car coaches to 12-car one in the next five years,’’ said Gupta.
After adding 88 services on the Thane-Vashi line, Central Railway (CR) will throw open the long awaited Turbhe-Nerul line soon. “CR is also increasing nine-car trains to 12-car on priority. This will greatly help decongest the main and harbour lines as the new coaches will carry one-third more passengers,’’ said chief PRO (CR) S C Mudgerikar.
As seen, the opening of the Thane-Vashi route has saved commuters time and energy by providing a direct link. Earlier, passengers had to change multiple trains if they had to go from the mainline to harbour. “The introduction of the Thane-Nerul line will further decongest the line,’’ said Mudgerikar.

GRANT ROAD STATION Expansion may cost Rs 7.5 crore Source: TOI E-paper (http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOI&BaseHref=TOIM/2008/11/19&PageLabel=6&EntityId=Ar00601&ViewMode=HTML&GZ=T)

Mumbai: Western Railway has proposed to expand Grant Road station and use it as a terminus to deal with the rising traffic. Adding two new platforms in the next three years is among the plans. It will come up in the area where the parcel office and compound now stands on the east side of Grant Road station. The parcel office is off the north end of platform 4. The number of commercial and consumer parcels received at the office over the years has greatly decreased and the existing operations will be shifted to the Mumbai Central station and Bandra terminus.
The proposal was sent to the railway ministry last month and the expansion is expected to cost Rs 7.5 crore. A major share of the budgeting will be done in the second and third years. However, officials do not know as yet how many new services will be added due to the extra platforms and how many trains will terminate or originate from Grant Road.
“The new platforms at Grant Road station will cater to 12-car rakes. The distance between Mumbai Central and Churchgate is only 4 km, with the stations being 1 km
apart. The trains originating or terminating at Grant Road would attract commuters who generally board trains either from Mumbai Central or Charni Road. Also, the commuter traffic between 11.30 am and 4.30 pm, considered non-peak hours, is increasing and a Grant Road terminus will help cater to the increasing need,’’ said Gupta.
The railways are planning to construct a new entrance for the two platforms on the east side, where an access point already exists. “It would be connected to the existing railway station by extending the foot bridge on the north end,’’ he added.
Western Railway’s plans for decongestion aren’t limited to south Mumbai. It is also planning two new platforms at Dadar station, also on the east side of the WR tracks. They will cater to suburban commuters. The new platforms will be adjacent to the new mid-town terminus, which will be ready by March and cater mainly to long-distance commuters.
At present, 1,156 suburban services are run on WR and around 33 lakh passengers use them daily. The services include 100 Central Railway Harbour Line trains that run between Mahim and Andheri. In all, WR has 71 rakes, the latest being added only last week.

IMHO, the plan for expansion of Grant road has come too late. It will take three more years to be completed. This is like a phrase in Marathi "Tahan laaglyavar vihir khanne" (to start digging a well after you realise that you are thirsty)

qzTZJjXw0KM

Source: Mid-day

Wow! That is some wide train.
Getting better at the aesthetics outside but inside.......there's room for improvement.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1208530
Wonder if they are doing this on purpose. Looks like someone there is
waiting for huge kickbacks.

Six months after its launch on the Central Railway, Kaizen Automation, the company manufacturing Go Mumbai cards, has alleged that Western Railway is dilly-dallying in introducing the contact-less smart card for the convenience of its 30 lakh commuters.

In a statement released the company said, “In a typical bureaucratic style, where the left hand does not know what the right is doing, WR is delaying the launch of touch-free Go Mumbai card on its suburban network.”

WR senior spokesperson Bhagwat Dahisarkar refuted the allegation saying, “We are in the process of finalising it and soon it will be launched.”

However, the statement said, “WR officials have not been able to sort out two fundamental issues needed to implement the scheme - dedicated connectivity and an escrow agreement with the State Bank of India.”

Connectivity is vital as every time the card is swiped, a certain amount is deducted from the e-purse and credited to the railways account. This can happen only if the card validators are connected to the bank. The second issue of signing an escrow account deal with State Bank of India, wherein the monies collected are transferred to the account, which the bank then forwards to the respective railways or BEST.

“This is not the only time that railways have dragged their feet on implementation of projects that benefit the city. Several projects of the MMRDA have also been held up due to non-clearance from the railway authorities,” the statement said.

Dahisarkar said, “A tripartite agreement was to be signed between WR,SBI and Kaizen. SBI has asked for some documentation from Kaizen which has defaulted, thus leading to the delay.”

LCD televisions in Mumbai local trains

On 26/11, a railway announcer used the Public Address system to help save lives.

Following the attacks, Mumbai's local trains are getting an upgrade. It's one that'll help commuters keep track of the news and also help the railways make money

Now, the western railways is installing LCD screens in its trains to ensure that passengers know what's happening around them.

"We have burglar alarms in place to ensure that no one makes off with the screens in the night," said Vinay Reddy, MD, Hype Integrated Comm. Pvt. Ltd.

The LCDs will keep passengers informed, entertained and add nearly Rs 50 crores to the Railways' kitty.

"We will not be spending anything. This will be done on a build, operate lease and transfer basis," said Bhagwat Dahisarkar, PRO, Western Railway.

So what does Mumbai think of this?

"There is hardly space to stand most of the times. Where will we watch the screen from? People will watch TV and forget their bags," said a Mumbai resident.

In the next one and half years, all the trains in Western Railway will have LCD screens.

NDTV Vedio (http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/video/video.aspx?id=50306)

Here's more on it from a different source:

Crowded and long train rides on the suburban rail network of Western Railways may soon be more bearable with LCD screens broadcasting entertainment and advertising content to be installed in coaches of all trains by next year.


The screens will be fitted in five 12-coach trains as a pilot project, the first of which is expected to be operational from today.


"The screens will broadcast a mixture of advertising and entertainment content on them," L Vijaybushan Reddy, MD of Integracomm, which will install the screens, said.


Six LCD screens will be fitted at a strategic height in each of the 12 coaches of a train and will have features to prevent them being tampered or damaged by miscreants, he said.


A video player preloaded with content is fitted in one of the screens in each coach and broadcasts content to each of the six screens in a coach.


"We expect to install the screens on all 67 rakes of the Western Railways in the next 12 to 18 months. The technology for providing live content is also there and will be introduced in the future," Reddy said.


In order to prevent theft of the screens while the trains are parked or in use, sophisticated alarms have been installed to each of the screens, he said.


If a burglar attempts stealing a screen, apart from an alarm being activated in the train, an SMS would be generated and sent to police authorities present there, Reddy said.


The installation of the screens is also expected to net the Railways a sum of Rs 10 lakh per annum and requires no investment from them, a spokesperson for Western Railways said.


Hype Integracomm expects to generate revenue through advertisements that it will broadcast on the screens, and has signed a five-year contract with the Railways.


The Railways provided advertisers with a captive audience of over 70 lakh per day many of whom travelled for about 20 to 30 minutes in a train on an average, Hype Integracomm officials said.


The screens would also be used to display socially relevant messages, and once live content is provided it would help in the cases of emergencies as well, they said.


"We will also be installing the system soon on the suburban rail network of the Central Railways as well," Jignesh Sharma, CEO of Hype Integracomm, said.

Source: Mid-day.com

Commuters say NO to AC in Mumbai Locals

Mumbai:

A Mumbai local on its way. The approximate cost of just three AC coaches would be Rs 10 crore pic/Bipin Kokate
It's too expensive, say second class commuters; ask for more coaches per local

The recent survey done by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for Air Conditioned (AC) locals reveals that Mumbai commuters are not keen to travel in AC trains. Out of 50,000 forms distributed to commuters at different locations in Mumbai, 30,000 forms have been received. In this, almost 75 per cent commuters have rejected the idea of bringing in AC locals. Not surprisingly, most of these are second-class commuters.

MRVC has figured out the rough estimate of the fares to be charged from Churchgate to Borivali. It will be Rs 250 for the single journey and approximately Rs 3,500 for the monthly pass.

"First class commuters are willing to pay more for the AC trains, but second class commuters are refusing, saying that the railways first have to increase normal services. We have got suggestions to run partly AC locals," said a senior official from MRVC. The forms were distributed in local trains, corporate offices, streets and colleges so that it could reach the maximum number of people who commute by train. It included commuters from all age groups. The survey was completed in 20 days. There were nine questions in the form with the name, address and other details about the passenger.

Sachin Upadhyay, a businessman who commutes by trains regularly, said, "I fully agree with the idea. We're ready to pay higher fares in exchange for comfort. Mumbaikars have that capacity. Even these trains will get overcrowded."

Second-class commuters don't second this views. It has also been suggested in the forms that first all the locals should be made of 12 coaches, then it should be increased to 15 coaches and the extra three coaches should be made AC. This will maintain the frequency of locals, benefiting commuters.

Prakash Rao, Chief Operation Manager, MRVC said, "We have got maximum response suggesting a monthly pass scheme." The approximate cost of three AC coaches would be Rs 10 crore and per coach will have the capacity to carry a minimum of 200 commuters.

Source: Mid-day

these idiots are hell-bent on raising the length to 15 coaches.

why do they argue for 15 coaches instead of a better signalling system that can allow trains every 2-3 minutes AND separation of local and long distance train tracks?

looks like they can make a lot of money by increasing the length of every platform on the system by 3 coaches.

About AC rakes - i would argue that all rakes must be made AC and there should no increase in charges. I hope the metro starts soon - when people see the kind of AC transport they can get at affordable rates, they will catch and kill these guys..

About AC rakes - i would argue that all rakes must be made AC and there should no increase in charges. I hope the metro starts soon - when people see the kind of AC transport they can get at affordable rates, they will catch and kill these guys..

It is seemingly not at all feasible for Air conditioned Rakes...

I would say wait until the Metro or the Monorail to come up... See how people feel about the A/C coaches... If necessary, then do it... Right now, unless we have totally new railway stations and trains, this would seem meaningless.. It would also mean close doors and windows and jam-packed trains...

Mumbai: Close on the heels of quadrupling the tracks between Borivli and Virar, the railways has now proposed to lay an additional pair of tracks from Virar to Dahanu as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
At present, there are only two tracks between Virar and Dahanu which are mostly used to run long distance trains. But now with work on in full swing to extend suburban services right upto Dahanu, authorities are planning the extra pair of tracks to accommodate suburban as well outstation trains.
Officials in the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) said the existing lines between Virar and Dahanu will be saturated once suburban services start from mid-2009. Against this backdrop, it’s important to plan additional tracks on this section right away.
P C Sehgal, MD of MRVC, said he has incorporated the plan for quadrupling of tracks between Virar and Dahanu in the third phase of the MUTP. MRVC is currently executing MUTP-I and will soon roll out the second phase of the World Bank-funded project.
Sehgal said the plan for additional tracks between Virar and Dahanu will be discussed with chief minister Ashok Chavan at a meeting on January 29. “We will apprise the state government of the plan to incorporate quadrupling between Virar-Dahanu in MUTP-III. The state government will have to part fund the MUTP-III like the previous schemes,’’ said Sehgal.
He said MUTP-III will also include additional lines between Virar, Vasai and Diva. This line, incidentally, is being
touted as one of the busiest corridors in the future as it is under-utilised right now.


Moreover, MRVC also plans to start 12-coach trains on the harbour line. With number of commuters on the harbour line fast spilling over, the upgradation from nine-coach to 12-coach could not have come earlier. The MUTP-III also intends to lay an extra pair of lines on the harbour route to optimise the running of the 12-coach trains. MUTP-III will also include fifth and sixth line between Virar and Borivli and introduction of 15-car coaches on the suburban tracks.

Source: TOI

It always amazes me that the state of Mumbai's railway (stations, trains, etc.) are so dilapidated and dirty and inefficient.

Since 6 million people use it everyday, I would have thought the government would have spent huge amounts of cash into making these world class or atleast decent.

dude... check NY metro... it is as dirty if not more... the amazing thing is that the mumbai railway system manages to be so punctual...

i think the first aim should be to reduce the overcrowding and make the ride safe - stations improvements can always follow

Mumbai Locals - The old and the new

pic by Spread_Smiles
http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/3518/spreadsmilespn5.jpg

Thanks LS!!!

MUMBAI: Commuters travelling towards Dahanu will soon be able to avail of suburban train facilities. Work on the Virar-Dahanu stretch has gathered full steam. According to officials, work on Dahanu road station is likely to be complete by June 2009, making it feasible to run suburban trains in the section soon.

At present, commuters travelling beyond Virar have to depend on mail express trains or shuttle services.

Officials said that once work is complete, mandatory security checks will begin before trains can actually be allowed to ply on the line. "A timetable will then be finalised," said an official.

On Tuesday morning, labourers were hard at work at Palghar station, which will also have an auxiliary warning signal. This facility activates automatic braking in case a train exceeds the permissible speed limit.
There are two tracks beyond Virar. For suburban trains, the distance between tracks is 4.49 metres while its 4.2 metres for long-distance trains. Work on this section was crawling because there were patches where tracks couldn't be pushed apart.

Work on overhead sheds is in progress and height of platforms is also being increased by 30 cms to accommodate suburban trains.

Source: Times of India

88% passengers opt for cool trips on train

Mumbai: The verdict is finally out and it’s overwhelmingly in favour of Mumbai getting air-conditioned trains.

About 88% of the 13,696 commuters, who took part in a survey conducted by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), have voted for AC travel on suburban trains. However, most were in favour of initially starting with a couple of AC coaches rather than having the entire train with a cool service.

The survey, which was conducted by the MRVC in December, had nine questions to check whether commuters were in favour of AC trains or not. The questionnaires were distributed on trains, at corporate offices, at stations and people could also fill forms online.

A huge majority—nearly 70%—of the respondents said they were willing to cut down on journeys by private vehicles or taxis if there were AC trains.

The survey also looked at how much more people were willing to pay if these services were introduced. More than half (52%) of those surveyed said they were willing to pay 50% extra than the existing first-class fare; 6% are ready to shell out 75% more or even double to get AC comfort though 36% did not respond.

The survey also found that commuters felt no need for separate coaches for women and men.

COMMUTERS’ VERDICT

79% of respondents travel by 1st class and 21% by 2nd class

88% of respondents said they were keen to travel by AC suburban trains

69% of respondents are willing to cut down on commute by private vehicles or taxis if

AC services are introduced on suburban trains. 15% are not willing and 16% did not cast their opinions

52% of respondents are ready to pay 50% extra to travel by AC coaches. 6% wanted to pay 75% more, while another 6% are ready to pay 100% extra. 36% did not mention anything

54% wanted partially AC trains, while 35% opted for a fully-AC train. The remaining 11% did not respond

51% of respondents travel by quarterly season tickets and 38% by monthly passes. Only 11% uses single/return journey tickets


Source: Times of India

dude... check NY metro... it is as dirty if not more...
In NYC, there is a much larger network (23 subway lines plus commuter lines i.e. Metro-North). The crowds at stations are far less than those of Bombay. In addition, service frequency is a lot higher. Ive seen some trains barely 30 seconds apart.
If you want to reduce overcrowding, you need more lines. There are about 30 lakh daily commuters on WR, which will only grow in time. The easiest way to solve this problem is added services, but this requires a better signaling system, like you said.

88% passengers opt for cool trips on train



Source: Times of India

Like everywhere,as usual 'the people' are less afraid of change than they are given credit for.
People WANT progress.And if they can will usually be willing to pay for it
Maybe this will galvinise the authorites into action.

WR to change track for commuter sake

The Western Railway is going to bring in a few minor changes at the Borivali station. The decision was taken on Friday afternoon after the agitated passengers made a huge chaos at the station.


Angry commuters blocked the tracks at Borivali station and attempted to stop the trains at around 10:00 am today.


However, the railway police intervened and moved the passengers away from the tracks.


Commuters from Borivali have been complaining to the railway administration against trains commencing from platform number seven and eight, as they find it difficult to board the trains originating from the said platforms.


"We face a lot of problems in traversing the long distance through the crowded FOBs and subways for boarding trains from these faraway platforms at peak hours."


Despite several representations, the railways have done nothing in this regard and they say that additional trains have been launched from Virar, which is the reason, trains originating from Borivali left from platform number seven and eight. Adding to the worst, the commuters of trains, commencing from Virar, don't allow passengers to board the train at Borivali.


"Today's incident was just an overflow of the anger of the passengers," said Sujatha Mandre, an agitated passenger from Borivali.


However, SS Gupta, CPRO, WR stated, "We have taken their demands into consideration. We may implement minor changes but we cannot change the whole structure."


Gupta revealed that most of the platforms at the Borivali station do not have enough width. Also due to increase in the number of trains a huge chaos prevails at the station. "There is a space constrain at the station," he added.

Source: Mid-day.com

Soon, Central Railway ticket queues to move faster

MUMBAI: Central Railway (CR) has finally decided to do away with its archaic dot matrix ticket printers and introduce thermal printers at

suburban ticket counters. This move will ensure that in the coming months, the time taken to print a ticket is cut from 30 seconds to 5 seconds.

CR officials said the change would be seen in the next six months. Tenders to outsource the printers would be released in a month and the whole process would take six months, said CR's chief commercial manager, Satya Prakash.

Dot matrix printers are time-consuming and with long hours of use, get heated, further reducing the printing time. Sometimes, they even break down, Prakash said.

CR has decided to outsource only the printers while the rest of the equipment would continue to be of the railways.

CR had introduced Go Mumbai cards last year and ATVMs in 2007, but they haven't got popular with commuters. Coupon vending machines, which were introduced a decade ago, have fared better. "Even three-day tourist passes, which would reduce crowds, has not caught on. Only 5% of commuters use ATVMs,'' said Prakash. This could be the reason that has made the CR think of speeding up ticket purchase at the counters.

CR carries around 35 lakh commuters of which 70% travel hold season passes. "Even if 30% of the 35 lakh buy tickets across the counter, that would be 10 lakh which is a huge number. Commuters should try other ticket purchasing facilities as the travel time saved would be tremendous,'' said Prakash.

Source: TOI

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/04/004/04_02_2009_004_004.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Man, in the event of 5000 people riding in one train, how can they expect the train to be in healthy conditions?

I wish they had put more effort into designing the front of the train. It doesn't look that modern. :ohno:

IR needs to be kicked out of the suburban rail system. too many vested interests with regards to contractors/suppliers for everything. with the procurement of new coaches they had the chance to really get the stock in line with world standards, but they stuck to the tutela-phutela tin cans from ICF

IR needs to be kicked out of the suburban rail system. too many vested interests with regards to contractors/suppliers for everything. with the procurement of new coaches they had the chance to really get the stock in line with world standards, but they stuck to the tutela-phutela tin cans from ICF

spot on as always .

The funny figure is that the capacity of the rakes is exceeded even in "non-peak hours"!

Seriously, something needs to be done fast!

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/05/001/05_02_2009_001_054.jpg

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Photographs/2009/02/05/002/05_02_2009_002_006_010.jpg

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/05/002/05_02_2009_002_006.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

I support the protesters.
Mumbai (indian)commuters are treated so badly .
Why?
because those with power to change are selfish criminal mothas.
Destroy some offices and some trains.
Direct action is the voice of those who wont be heared.
Viva la revolution!

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/06/003/06_02_2009_003_006.jpg

Source: HT

there we go... the power of the people......

‘Deluxe EMU rake’ flagged off from ICF

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/stories/2009021052920400.htm

CHENNAI: The Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, has rolled out an AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin.

Flagging off the deluxe EMU rake on Monday, Minister of State for Railways R.Velu said that this was the 39th rake supplied by ICF to the Maharashtra Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for the Mumbai suburban service. The ICF had been given the contract for manufacture of 101 AC/DC EMU rakes by the MRVC under a World Bank scheme, of which 38 had been delivered. This was the first EMU rake with AC driver cabins. In future, all EMUs would have the facility.

‘Deluxe EMU rake’ flagged off from ICF

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/stories/2009021052920400.htm

CHENNAI: The Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, has rolled out an AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin.
This was the first EMU rake with AC driver cabins.

So its "deluxe" for the drivers. What about the passengers?

At one time the Airconditioned Express between Howrah and Delhi (and maybe also the Mumbai and Delhi) used to be called Deluxe Express by the janata. Later on they become Poorva and Pashchim Expresses.

IR also runs some trains which are called "super deluxe".

:lol:

Wonder what does IR mean by "deluxe"?

Haha reminds me of the time me and some of my American friends went from bangalore to mysore by bus. We went to mysore in an AC Volvo, but while coming back, all the ac volvos had left already. the only bus available was a "Superdeluxe Executive" It was such crap both from the inside and the out!

I think they just add these luxurious terms to attract more people.

‘Deluxe EMU rake’ flagged off from ICF

Special Correspondent

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/images/2009021059800801.jpg

ICF rolls out AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin

New rake different from conventional one

Total cost of new coach will be around Rs.27 crore

— Photo: S.Thanthoni

STATE-OF-THE-ART: Minister of State for Railways R. Velu inaugurating the ‘deluxe EMU rake’ at ICF in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: The Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, has rolled out an AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin.

Flagging off the deluxe EMU rake on Monday, Minister of State for Railways R.Velu said that this was the 39th rake supplied by ICF to the Maharashtra Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for the Mumbai suburban service. The ICF had been given the contract for manufacture of 101 AC/DC EMU rakes by the MRVC under a World Bank scheme, of which 38 had been delivered. This was the first EMU rake with AC driver cabins. In future, all EMUs would have the facility.

The Minister said five new generation EMU rakes were being supplied to the Corporation every month. The feedback for the coaches was encouraging. They had named the trains “silver bullets” of the Mumbai suburban.

Amenities provided in these coaches were on a par with those of any EMUs in the international suburban system. :bash::bash:

These included global positioning system for displaying passenger relevant information, LED display of destination on either side of the train and forced ventilation system for pumping in fresh air into the coaches to relieve suffocation during peak-time rush.

General Manager M.S. Jayanth said that the new EMU was different from the conventional rake as state-of-the art technology had been incorporated in the rake. The energy requirement of the new coach would be 35 per cent less than that of conventional coaches due to regeneration of energy during braking. Reduced energy requirements would mean reduced emissions and a cleaner environment.

After a complete changeover to new-generation coaches, Railways would save Rs.100 core per annum and earn Rs.12 crore on carbon credit.

The total cost of the new coach would be around Rs.27 crore, which was much less compared to Rs.84 crore charged by some international companies for an 8-car rake of metro rail system. In addition to the 101 rakes, the Railway Ministry on its part was to supply 57 rakes to the Mumbai suburban service, which were also to be supplied by ICF, he added.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/stories/2009021059800800.htm

^^^^

That is not State-of-the-art looks .....

im confused.
A/c d c only(....AC/DC... only in india )
Or a/c everywhere including d c?

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/12/005/12_02_2009_005_017.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

im confused.
A/c d c only(....AC/DC... only in india )
Or a/c everywhere including d c?

A/C = Air Conditioned
D/C = ....
..
..
..
..
DABBA Condition
:bash::bash::bash:

Sit in queue and Book Railway tickets

Sit in queue and book railway ticket to your gaon
By: Vedika Tripathi Date: 2009-02-12

Passenger Services Committee recommends chairs for people who stand for hours to book long-distance tickets at stations

Tired of standing in queues to book railway tickets to your village or home town? Now, you may soon get to
book tickets while seated in a queue. The Passenger Services Committee (PSC) has recommended the railway board to put up chairs along the queues for passengers.


The committee visited Mumbai last month to look at services provided to passengers. "For booking long distance train tickets, one has to stand in the queue for more than an hour. It becomes very difficult for old people who are forced to stand in the queue for fear of losing their place.

Keeping in mind their problems, we have sent a list of recommendations to the railway board to put chairs near the ticket window," said Rameshwar Prasad Gupta, a member of PSC.

It has been suggested that this be implemented at big stations like CST, Dadar, Thane, Kalyan, etc.

Commuters are obviously excited with the idea. Usha Srivastava, who regularly books tickets to Benaras from Dadar station, said, "This is a problem faced by every passenger. It takes so long to book tickets. Sometimes one spends more than two hours. Putting chairs near the ticket window will really help people."

Gupta said that if everything goes as planned, the stainless steel chairs will be put up by March. But
S Mudgerikar, chief PRO, CR, said, "We are yet to receive any such suggestion. If at all such suggestion is made, we will examine its feasibility and practicality."

Also on the list
The PSC has also recommended that food at railway stations cost less, as most passengers are from the middle or lower middle classes

Now, get receipts for cheques in drop box
Within a month, all railway stations will have an electronic bill box attached to the existing drop boxes that will give you an acknowledgement within a fraction of a second of depositing your cheques. Viraj Majmudar, promoter and founder, Minc Bill Box Private Limited, said, "It will increase public trust in the drop box system and will prove beneficial to people." A K Sharma, GRP Commissioner said, "It's a good idea." The cheques are cleared every 24 hours and are delivered to the companies on the same day.

Source: Mid-day.com

What BS is this? This is gonna look so ridiculous if something like this is implemented?

Why not have online tickets and make it terrifically easy for all these commuters?

They need to put long benches instead of chairs. Otherwise as the queue moves, the people will have to keep changing chairs as they advance towards the ticket window.

With benches they can just slide their posteriors (without getting up) as they make their way to the counter.

You know though it would sound crazy but I think they should now develop the means of purchasing tickets. They need to change the looks of the stations and develop it completely. Unless they are going to aim for it and start some issues about this, nothing is going to happen.

Something like this, they will have to find ways of minimizing the lines and not just creating another issues. If you look at the future, the lines will double. More and more people are coming to Bombay. We will put chairs today, benches tomorrow. But just think about it. It will block a lot of spaces. And then it will be more chaos with some people sitting and standing.

The only way of reducing the lines is going for ticketing some other ways. How about having a "highly secured" e-ticketing or some other means of purchasing tickets where they don't have to stand in line for hours.

Another thing is that they will need an electric ticket printer machine. I don't know if they have electricized all the ticket printing coz I haven't been to Bombay for almost 3 years. But they haven't they need to start doing this. One push of the button and the ticket will be printed. All this is going to cost a lot of money. But they will have to invest it for betterment and comfort the life of the people.

In New Bombay railway stations they had put up machines with electronic printing of tickets (around 5 years back)....in advance you could purchase blank ticket strips of some fixed amount, now this machine had a map of Mumbai and a LED display for all stations....there was a touch button thing besides all station displays...say you wanted to go from Vashi to VT...you need to insert your blank ticket....then you could press the button besides Vashi and then besides VT....on doing this would highlight the entire route by lighting up LED displays over the entire route....and then would display the fare and then print the ticket for that fare and route....

but then half of the people would just fool around with the LED display thing..by pressing random buttons(I have to admit I too fooled with it).....when i had been after 3 years, i could see the machine had broken down....also the touch thing was something cheap...anywayz.....

‘Deluxe EMU rake’ flagged off from ICF

Special Correspondent

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/images/2009021059800801.jpg

ICF rolls out AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin

New rake different from conventional one

Total cost of new coach will be around Rs.27 crore

— Photo: S.Thanthoni

STATE-OF-THE-ART: Minister of State for Railways R. Velu inaugurating the ‘deluxe EMU rake’ at ICF in Chennai on Monday.

CHENNAI: The Integral Coach Factory, Perambur, has rolled out an AC/DC EMU with air-conditioned driver’s cabin.

Flagging off the deluxe EMU rake on Monday, Minister of State for Railways R.Velu said that this was the 39th rake supplied by ICF to the Maharashtra Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for the Mumbai suburban service. The ICF had been given the contract for manufacture of 101 AC/DC EMU rakes by the MRVC under a World Bank scheme, of which 38 had been delivered. This was the first EMU rake with AC driver cabins. In future, all EMUs would have the facility.

The Minister said five new generation EMU rakes were being supplied to the Corporation every month. The feedback for the coaches was encouraging. They had named the trains “silver bullets” of the Mumbai suburban.

Amenities provided in these coaches were on a par with those of any EMUs in the international suburban system. :bash::bash:

These included global positioning system for displaying passenger relevant information, LED display of destination on either side of the train and forced ventilation system for pumping in fresh air into the coaches to relieve suffocation during peak-time rush.

General Manager M.S. Jayanth said that the new EMU was different from the conventional rake as state-of-the art technology had been incorporated in the rake. The energy requirement of the new coach would be 35 per cent less than that of conventional coaches due to regeneration of energy during braking. Reduced energy requirements would mean reduced emissions and a cleaner environment.

After a complete changeover to new-generation coaches, Railways would save Rs.100 core per annum and earn Rs.12 crore on carbon credit.

The total cost of the new coach would be around Rs.27 crore, which was much less compared to Rs.84 crore charged by some international companies for an 8-car rake of metro rail system. In addition to the 101 rakes, the Railway Ministry on its part was to supply 57 rakes to the Mumbai suburban service, which were also to be supplied by ICF, he added.

http://www.hindu.com/2009/02/10/stories/2009021059800800.htm

deluxe :crazy:

I took a train from the Santa Cruz to Churchgate once in 2006. It was my first time taking the trains since 1998. I expected there to be ATM's which process tickets fast.

What I found was a looooong line of people waiting for tickets in terribly hot conditions. The only way of getting tickets is over the counter. Since 6 million people pay for the trains everyday, you would expect the Railways to have a faster and more modern ways of ticketing besides at the counters!

It's such a waste of time waiting in the line for 20-40 mins. They can add ATM's, mobile ticket conductors, shops that sell tickets, etc. But they have not done much to improve ticketing.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/13/002/13_02_2009_002_002.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Amenities provided in these coaches were on a par with those of any EMUs in the international suburban system.

:nuts: :lol: :bash:

im confused.
A/c d c only(....AC/DC... only in india )
Or a/c everywhere including d c?

AC is Alternating Current, and DC is Direct Current.

The Mumbai Suburban System is powered by 1.5 kV DC Overhead electricals, while electric trains in the rest of india is powered by 25kV AC Overhead.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/14/007/14_02_2009_007_013.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Lalu doesnt give a damn about Mumbai. He's only concerned about his Patna!

^^
A bullet train service from New Delhi to .....guess where? PATNA!!!! Effin hell...Lalu's an yeeeeeeediot!

:crazy:

i wonder, even if it comes up, how many people would actually use a bullet train to patna

Most people would use the train (bullet train) to Patna..

Would they pay for the ticket, is the question. :-)

Regional pride is running and ruining the country here!!!!

Delhi to Patna? no links to Kolkata? LMAO
can't wait to join the People's Republic and eat wantons everyday.

kick IR out of bombay!! seriously we need a revolution, its time to rethink the whole organisation of the indian state. it obviously has too many flaws and is too centralised

I'm guessing the feasibility report would state that a Delhi-Patna bullet would be a disaster.

kick IR out of bombay!! seriously we need a revolution, its time to rethink the whole organisation of the indian state. it obviously has too many flaws and is too centralised

Dude I have emailed the Indian Railways and the Mumbai railways about this... Our babus don't even know the word of revolution...nor are they educated enough to hit the "reply" button...

You emailed Indian Railways to tell them to get out of Mumbai? What sort of response were you expecting?

no... I sent them email about the sorry state of mumbai railways!!!

...and you expected a reply? What kind of reply were you expecting?

For the last 60 years, IR has stayed more or less the same. They're not going to change anything by a simple email.

^^
Well, atleast he tried. Hopefully, sending them an email is the first step of the process.

i think one or 2 e-mails can be ignored, but what we need is lots and lots of people to do it!! bug them into action (hopeless, but at least worth a try)

More protests like the one in Borivali will force them to change.

Their response will probably be something like this:

"Thank you for letting us know our shortcomings. Next time we operate without political interference we will fix everything that is wrong about us."

Even if they reply something like that, I would be surprised....
.

AC is Alternating Current, and DC is Direct Current.

The Mumbai Suburban System is powered by 1.5 kV DC Overhead electricals, while electric trains in the rest of india is powered by 25kV AC Overhead.

Hmm.. I thought they were refering to air con in the drivers cab(d/c) or some sort of s & m thing...

some recent mediocre images -

February 13
Copyright AP Photo
http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/593/52104636zx7.jpg
Commuters travel on a local train in Mumbai, India, Friday, Feb. 13,2009



I want to kill these Railway Authorities. Look at the color of the barricades on the bridge. Forget that! The asbestos roofs need a total upgrade.

Mumbai railway stations may have demarcated walkway


By: Agencies
Date: 2009-02-20

Government Railway Police (GRP) has proposed the Railways for a demarcated walkway on every platform of railway stations.

If the proposal is accepted, boarding trains will soon be easier for commuters, as people waiting on platforms will not come in the way of those actually moving into trains, the GRP said to Mumbai Mirror.

The proposal came up after many commuters complained about restricted movement on crowded platforms. Bharat Rane, Senior Inspector with GRP, Mumbai Central says, "Most of these complainants were women commuters. The ladies' compartments have specific positions on each train and demarcated places when they stop on platforms. During rush hour, women have a tough time reaching them."

Vashi resident Kavita Shinde regularly faces this problem. "Commuters crowd the platform, irrespective of which train they are going to catch. It is difficult pushing these people aside and making our way to the ladies' compartment," Shinde says.

The problem is severe at stations like Dadar, Borivli and Thane, where there are common platforms for local and long distance trains. Says Mihir Juganani, an Ulhasnagar resident, "People waiting for long distance trains block the way for suburban commuters and huge crowds in such a narrow space is like a disaster waiting to happen."

To find a solution, a team of senior GRP officers chalked out the walkway plan. Dadar on WR was chosen as a pilot project and a plan submitted to GRP commissioner A K Sharma. Sharma says, "As per the design, every platform would have a 1.5 foot walkway from start to end. It will be located on one side of the platform, leaving space for waiting commuters. It will have yellow lines with stripes."

However, there is a possibility of people not following the walkway lines as there will be no one monitoring the facility. But as Rane puts it, "We find people disobeying zebra crossings too. The walkways will prove useful." The proposal has been forwarded to the office of Divisional Railway Manager of WR.

Existing Signs
>> Yellow lines near the platform edges indicate the safe distance to be maintained while walking on platforms
>> CR has alarms on every platform to signal compartments for visually challenged persons; WR has specially designed tiles

Source: Mid-day

I want to kill these Railway Authorities. Look at the color of the barricades on the bridge. Forget that! The asbestos roofs need a total upgrade.



It just looks awful. People hanging out of the train, an 80 year old roof, and 40 year old paint. If the authority does not do a complete make over of Bombay, it's really going to look terrible. You will have a nice high rise buildings on one side and right next to it you will have a rail track with an old train going with people hanging out of it as if somebody will fall out at any minute. Kind of like the picture above.

I've been saying this for so long! Everyday 6 million people PAY to use the Mumbai Suburban Railway to commute. Why can't they use that money to improve the stations!!! The stations still look like they did in 1947!

Do a complete overhaul of the city. Otherwise it is just like putting lip-stick on a pig. :bash:

^^^^
:lol:

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/02/22/004/22_02_2009_004_004.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

It is quite sickening to see these dilapidated railway stations in India, especially the one in Mumbai. After seeing Slumdog M, the politicians/babus need to dip their heads in sewer lines if they don't act immediately. What is it with these clowns. Don't they see the images around the world on TV and during their jaunts abroad. They see comfortable user friendly railway stations that look like airports. Why the f&**k do Indians deserve such shoddy infrastructure. Bloody bandicoots. Time for a revolt I say.

Why the F*** they need bullet trains when the whole of the contry's railways suffers substandard infrastructure...

Can't they invest these money in providing ROB and RUB in all the junctions throughout India...
How many lives are lost coz of accidents everyday and these bridges can prevent many lives lost at many juctions!!

Every now and then some train is hittin a vehicle at many junctions..

Oh mabbe they think the ppl wont consider it as a major infrastructure and wont vote for them?!?! :bash: :bash:

votes important than human lives?!?:ohno:

Commuters can now take a refreshing break at CST



CST will soon become the first railway station serving suburban routes in Mumbai to house a cyber cafe, if the Railway Board gives the go-ahead

If the Railway Board gives the go-ahead, CST will soon become the first railway station serving suburban routes in Mumbai to house a cyber cafe. The internet cafe could be located on the first floor of Re-Fresh food plaza, inaugurated on Monday afternoon at the suburban concourse between platforms 5 and 6.

Pune is the only Central Railway (CR) station which has a cyber cafe. But the historic CST, officials said, could soon join Pune and enable you to check your mail before you catch a Thane local.

"But everything is subject to the Railway Board decision,'' IRCTC group general manager R D Sharma said.

CR general manager B B Modgil inaugurated the 24-hour double-deck fully air-conditioned food plaza, the first of its kind on the suburban line, on Monday. Stations like Kalyan, Pune and Solapur will see similar food plazas in the coming months.

Modgil suggested that more air-conditioners be installed on the mezzanine floor. "The place looks nice. The food should also be good. I am satisfied with what I have seen. This restaurant will be a great help to passengers,'' Modgil told the media. The quality and pricing will be maintained by the IRCTC.

The good news about this new food plaza is that the food is cheaper here than the older one in the main concourse. "The food on the top floor is cheaper. We serve an unlimited thali for Rs 50,'' proprietor Pankaj Goel said.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9329/mumbairailway.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/w450.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/)

Source: FunOnTheNet.in

timeless existence!

looks like that clock stopped working in 1947

Railways may go alone for diesel locomotive plant ......... Read More (http://www.exchange4projects.com/RAIL/railways-may-go-alone-for-diesel-locomotive-plant)

Bhargav - thanks for the very candid image. Hope it was not PSed by the guys on fun on the net :) J/K.

On a serious note, I wonder if the authorities have any knowledge of how damaging asbestos roofing is for general public's health ?? For all the awareness that is happening in 'Mai-des', wonder why in the world has no one made an issue about the asbestos roofing widely used in India.

Anyone in the know of Railways care to comment?

Cheers
p2p4
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9329/mumbairailway.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/w450.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/)

Source: FunOnTheNet.in

All surburban stations needs modernising in Mumbai.

CST renovation has not even started!

The communters are getting a raw deal.

The new rakes are an improvement but not brilliant, could have been miles better.

Sorry for the rant.

^^^^

Ranting is fine. But what's the point if the government doesn't listen to us or doesn't find it necessary to upgrade these things. They are still living in the 1920s mentality and are not thinking of going for the next step always.

LOL!

Or a lack of political will.

Also its the way the surburban railways are managed in Mumbai, perhaps Lalu should step in?

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9329/mumbairailway.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/w450.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/)

Source: FunOnTheNet.in


The way people are dressed and the way the picture looks, it might have taken in 1950s or 60s. Seriously guys. Can anyone tell for sure that it was taken recently? Either way, it looks awful.

I think the yellowness makes it look old. This pic is relatively recent, I think.

its been made look old by picasa.. :nuts:

The way people are dressed and the way the picture looks, it might have taken in 1950s or 60s. Seriously guys. Can anyone tell for sure that it was taken recently? Either way, it looks awful.

I guess there's not much difference between the 50s and the 2000s eh? :D

Sepia treatment always makes things look old.

I have an article. It was forwarded to me by Sudhir P. Badami, who was appointed by the High Court for Road Monitoring Committee. The Article is long and is in a PDF format. How do I host it. It is interesting.

Thanks to IU, here's the link:

http://viewer.zoho.com/docs/cRrOg

Have a saaf trip

Commuters can barely dare to believe it. Over the last few weeks, the most common sight across the normally decrepit Central Railway stations has been that of frenetic cleaning, painting and sweeping.

While most station platforms have received fresh coats of paint, large sections of walls along the tracks have been white-washed. At many places, construction debris and rubbish that had been lying piled on the tracks for years, has been collected in polythene bags and are being carried out of the city.

On an average night, ten wagons of debris and garbage is collected from the tracks by a special train. The waste is either disposed off outside the city or used as landfill in new railway projects.

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c27.jpg
The station walls are being white-washed, Even the gutters are all spruced up and painted

What has led to the long-overdue bout of spring cleaning? We discovered that the clean-up operation is a result of tension among railway officials about a surprise inspection by B B Modgil, the new general manager of Central Railway. In his two-month tenure, Modgil has built up a reputation for himself as an officer obsessed with cleanliness.


Since his taking over charge of the railway zone, Modgil has made several surprise visits to suburban stations to check the quality of cleanliness - something that few of his predecessors have done. Last month, he created a stir in the new cafeteria at CST station when he barged into the kitchen and demanded to see the health certificates of workers employed there.

Srinivas Mudgerikar, chief PRO of Central Railway said, "While cleaning of the tracks and stations are routine, the new general manager has made 'cleanliness and station upkeep' as one of our focus areas. So cleaning work is being done more vigorously now."

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c21.jpg

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c22.jpg

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c25.jpg
Bags of garbage, all tied up and ready to be carted out of Mumbai, A fresh coat of paint - wherever you look

The cleaner stations and tracks have not escaped the attention of commuters who are accustomed to travelling along railway lines that resemble garbage dumps with mounds of construction debris and refuse. "In the last one month, stations on the Central Railway are definitely looking cleaner. The tracks are being cleaned probably after years," said Subhash Gupta of Mumbai Yatri Sangh.

Modgil, an officer of the 1972 batch of the Indian Railway Service (IRS) now presides over a railway zone that stretches from Mumbai to Nagpur. But as a student, he was once a commuter on the suburban line.

"Station cleanliness and upkeep is definitely one of our priorities as it is the first thing that any normal commuter encounters during his or her journey," he said. "Since my student days, station upkeep and cleanliness have always attracted my attention."

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c23.jpg

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c24.jpg

http://cms.mumbaimirror.com/portalfiles/1/2/200903/Image/040309/c26.jpg

The debris, lying here for years, is finally being removed, The heroes of the clean-up
operation

Amritpal Singh, of Nerul, a regular commuter on CR said, "I’ve never seen such cleaning up on railway stations. It shows that if officials want to change the system, they can."

Commuters, though, are asking a valid question. They wonder why the stations were being cleaned in anticipation of a visit by the railway general manager. "The stations and tracks should be kept clean in the normal course. Why should the fear of a surprise visit by the general manager prompt this sudden frenzy?" asked Gupta.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

Srinivas Mudgerikar, chief PRO of Central Railway said, "While cleaning of the tracks and stations are routine, the new general manager has made 'cleanliness and station upkeep' as one of our focus areas. So cleaning work is being done more vigorously now."

Classic Babu Speak. The Guy is doing a CYA par-excellence.. What next, he is doing his job, not slacking of, brother oh brother. CST and other Mumbai stations need a complete revamp i.e. demolish and rebuild like a modern airport. After Slumdog Millionaire the entire staff of Central Railway need to be ashamed of the image portrayed about India & IR worldwide.

Thank the lord that B B Modgil is kicking some serious butt otherwise the chalta hai attitude is all pervasive. Now it is time for the other Railway chiefs to do what B B Modgil has embarked upon. Will this happen soon?

I think all the fast-train stops need a revamp especially Andheri, Bandra, Bombay Central, Borivali, CST, Churchgate, and Dadar.

I think all the fast-train stops need a revamp especially Andheri, Bandra, Bombay Central, Borivali, CST, Churchgate, and Dadar.

I think all the stations in Mumbai Suburban Railway need to be completely rebuilt in phases.

I think all the stations in Mumbai Suburban Railway need to be completely rebuilt in phases.

I think all the Railway Stations in India need to be completely rebuit in phases.

oooo, i like this game

i think all of india needs to be completely rebuilt in phases

I think that a plan to rebuild railway stations would re-invigorate the Indian economy. If Airports could be built with around Rs. 100 crore (thanks to Civil Aviation Minister Praful Patel), then a railway station could be built, on average, with Rs. 10 crore. Land already exists and some basic infra like rails exist, only buildings and platforms need to be redone. In Phase 1, 5000 stations can be identified by volume of traffic, importance, etc. These stations can be rebuilt simultaneously over a period of 1 yr. That is Rs 50, 000 crores, well within the profits earned by IR. To begin with, IR can identify 5-8 good designs (from public competition) and let the zone/sub-zone pick and customize according to their needs. With each station authorized for Rs 10 crore on average, the railways can appoint a czar for each station. The czar is responsible for the appropriate building plan/execution.

Exactly. Construction and infrastructure growth would do wonders for the economy. It would also employ a lot of slum dwellers, etc. Something like that was already announced last year or the year back. They had planned on completely renovating CST & a lot of other metro stations.

None of these stations have yet been touched!

Nice photo of a not so nice stituation...

http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/9329/mumbairailway.jpg (http://imageshack.us)
http://img9.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/w450.png (http://g.imageshack.us/img9/mumbairailway.jpg/1/)

Source: FunOnTheNet.in- Thanks for the pic Bhargav

This is ridiculously hilarious - picture this stituation where people find it genuinely challenging to clarify whether this is 2009 or the 1950s - from 60 years back to now!!!:lol:

No hands on that clock couldnt have said it better!!!

Looks like time had stood still while the rest of the world moved on. Nostalgia is one thing but this is taking the Chalta-hai attitude too far. An entire generation would have been born into this and even passed away without experiencing any significant change for the better.

It is high time that things are not just cleaned up (which is a brilliant start in itself) but entirely re built and run efficiently - stations rolling stock, signalling systems and many more aspects of running and maintenance of the world's largest single employer of people.

This will make a huge diff to the nation. And now that the hitherto unimaginable profits are being churned out - it is doable and it has simply got to be done NOW!!!

^^
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/3095377174_9c0b3247c6.jpg

hahahahah

:lol: awesome find axw11....

what a timing it was...

^^
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3128/3095377174_9c0b3247c6.jpg

:rofl: This kinda gives an impression that some one in railways is following this forum!! Are they? I doubt.

Ha Ha - Cant believe this - Perfect timing - what are the odds of finding the pic of what seems like this very same clock with no hands - fab find axw 11 - unless you yourself got them to take the clock down and took a snap ;).

It actually does seem like someone in the railways is following this thread - well this is the new BHarath and there is the remotest of possibilities - wonders never cease. Thanks IR - now for the modernization please - all in good time...

hmmm...it seems my identity has been revealed ;) prob i am the man himself with a Webster in my hands ;)

No way.... A babu cannot be that much literate that he comes on a forum and posts a picture!!! :lol:

Hum Hoon Bambai ka babu :D

Actually, I had seen both these pictures before on flickr

Railways pledges to put new suburban rakes on right track


MUMBAI: Even as Siemens (the company that supplies the new hi-tech rakes) has accepted that the traction motors in its swanky trains are faulty
and agreed to replace them by the first week of April, the railway authorities have started damage control.

The main reasons for failure have been identified as malfunctioning of traction motors, faulty software, pneumatic trouble and auxiliary warning system inconsistency. Traction motor and software failure contribute to 90% of the breakdowns.

Siemens and Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC)-the coordinating body-have come under criticism that the rakes failed less than a few months after they were introduced. Motors are usually built to last at least 25 years-which, incidentally, is the lifespan of a train.

Officials said the rakes were tested before they were commissioned. Obviously, the lab tests didn't take into account the super-dense loads Mumbai's suburban locals are subjected to.

"There has been chaos at the divisional and the zonal levels. Carshed resources are pooled in and this has overburdened the staff. One technician escorts every train. The staff work under immense pressure. Indian Railways has put pressure on Siemens to sort out the issue,'' said S S Gupta, chief public relations officer, Western Railway (WR).

Senior railway officials headed by WR general manager R N Verma inspected the carshed during the fag end of February and re-drafted maintenance patterns. "Every time a rake failed, it would take at least 20 minutes for it to clear. With a frequency of three minutes, this would cause serious repercussions as trains would end up bunching along the entire line,'' said Gupta.

At present, 17 new rakes run on the Western line. Each rake has 16 motors. All operations are carried out by computers that also monitor the rakes. So far, 56 motors have been replaced, 36 of which had failed. Twelve were changed before they could break down, thanks to monitoring message No 145. This failure number refers to an abnormal ratio of current drawn to speed. Bearing failure is directly related to the speed of the train. Event downloading is carried out every three days.

"Siemens will send modified motors by April 1; 100 motors are expected per month. These will be changed in our carsheds,'' Gupta said.

Eight motor failures were detected by rolling examination, which is done by checking for abnormal sound of the rake when it runs on the tracks. Trained technicians are placed 24x7 at Mumbai Central, Borivli and Virar to check for unusual sounds from the motor. "If a sound is detected, we immediately pull the rake out of service,'' explained Gupta. It takes a day or two to replace a motor.

A software malfunction can also bring the train to a halt. It was noticed that after the system was re-booted, the problem would disappear. Officials admit they still don't know why software problems occur.

Source:- http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Railways-pledges-to-put-new-suburban-rakes-on-right-track/articleshow/4262340.cms

siemens is learning something about indian working conditions... :D

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/18/005/18_03_2009_005_017.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/21/003/21_03_2009_003_014.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Ghatkoper Stn
copyright: TRUSHANTRBHAVSAR

wBDfeV3PUtI

Moron......

Missed! :tongue3:


Seriously, indeed, what a moron. What does he gain from doing that? :ohno:

Thrill. I have done that in the past when I was much younger but ofcourse not as close as this kid did.
Missed! :tongue3:


Seriously, indeed, what a moron. What does he gain from doing that? :ohno:

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/21/003/21_03_2009_003_014.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Funny how they allocated those toilets right next to the railway lines.
Perhaps to use the fact that people like defecating next to the tracks.
:lol::lol::lol::lol:

This is what ICF prefers to call top class:

http://img440.imageshack.us/img440/5785/atgaaad5dbm0rrq1i713dvw.jpg

see the finishing of the cab and side wall for yourself, and arrive at the appropriate conclusions :)

I guess they are not used to genuine higher standards quality. So anything new for them is a top class. BTW man, that picture's from Orkut. Can you upload it on Image Shack?

Ticketless Traveler- BEWARE

Western Railway was very strict towards ticketless travellers in the month of February this year. Over a lakh cases of ticketless/irregular travel, including unbooked luggage, were detected. WR recovered an amount of Rs 295 lakh. This is12.82 per cent more than the corresponding month of last year.

Similarly, 125 cases of illegal transfer of reserved tickets were detected and an amount of Rs.1,00,696 was collected.

During the same period, 1,350 beggars and unauthorised hawkers were apprehended, out of which 865 were evicted from Railway premises. Of the 485 persons prosecuted, 463 were fined and an amount of Rs 47,600 collected. Around 20 people were jailed for 120 days.

During February 2009, 154 checks were conducted against touts and other unsocial elements. As a result, 548 persons were apprehended and prosecuted under Indian Railway Act, 1989 out of which 534 persons were fined and an amount of Rs 40,370 was recovered. 14 people were jailed for 14 jail days.

Source: Mid-day

BTW man, that picture's from Orkut. Can you upload it on Image Shack?

It was in my album, so used that link. Uploaded it on Imageshack now.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/03/27/004/27_03_2009_004_001.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

it is sad that railways have to be dragged kicking and screaming by the court to do something that's right. Any station master should be trained with basic first aid, CPR, and have access to a defibriluator.

They should not have used white as a color on the trains!! Obviously the accumulation of dust will show!

Why would they use white and purple!

4,000 people a year. thats a few multiples of how many we lose to terrorism and communal riots. someone should file a case of genocide against the indian railways and the police for allowing this to continue

4,000 people a year. thats a few multiples of how many we lose to terrorism and communal riots. someone should file a case of genocide against the indian railways and the police for allowing this to continue

Just another example that there is no value of human life in India. And lalu (lallu) is going places telling lies about Indian Railways.

Or maybe people could just stay off the tracks, or hey, travel inside the train and not hanging out or on top of it. No doubt safety should be a priority but how many deaths are the result of a lack of common sense?

Or maybe people could just stay off the tracks, or hey, travel inside the train and not hanging out or on top of it. No doubt safety should be a priority but how many deaths are the result of a lack of common sense?

isnt that the responsibility of railways and police to make sure people are severely punished in that case? how about fencing off the tracks when you know people do cross them? how about investing in a metro system so that the trains are not packed worse than animal carriers?

its absolutely disgraceful that 4,000 people are dying every year due to neglect. how many deaths do you need before it starts pricking your conscience? 5,000? 10,000? 50,000? what are these worth in terms of investment in fencing and new metro routes? or are they worth nothing?

isnt that the responsibility of railways and police to make sure people are severely punished in that case? how about fencing off the tracks when you know people do cross them? how about investing in a metro system so that the trains are not packed worse than animal carriers?

its absolutely disgraceful that 4,000 people are dying every year due to neglect. how many deaths do you need before it starts pricking your conscience? 5,000? 10,000? 50,000? what are these worth in terms of investment in fencing and new metro routes? or are they worth nothing?

i agree with bombay boy. heck forget about the metro - getting two additional lines on the suburban railway takes 15 years - does that even make sense?

isnt that the responsibility of railways and police to make sure people are severely punished in that case? how about fencing off the tracks when you know people do cross them? how about investing in a metro system so that the trains are not packed worse than animal carriers?

its absolutely disgraceful that 4,000 people are dying every year due to neglect. how many deaths do you need before it starts pricking your conscience? 5,000? 10,000? 50,000? what are these worth in terms of investment in fencing and new metro routes? or are they worth nothing?

are you saying the police and the railways are completely responsible for people's idiotic decisions?

are you saying the police and the railways are completely responsible for people's idiotic decisions?

from your words, it appears you have not traveled in a Mumbai local during peak hour. there is no option but to hang from the ledges. and then if you hit a signal pole or your grip slips, whose fault is it?

A lot of common sense and a lot of strict implementation of law and prevent many deaths. So all of us, including me, are responsible.

^^ Its not common sense, its the difficult-ness they face that make them cross the rails!

Would you prefer walking 10 steps or climibing up 50 steps and walking 10 steps and climbing down 50 steps?

Its the duty of IR to provide safety measure like fencing off the tracks, escalators and elevators for FOB (in case if they want more ppl to use it), guard rails in the platform.
And first and foremost, cleanliness and thrash culture which is non-existence in IR.

Unanswered Questions
Why cant IR be booked for murdering ppl coz of lack of safety measures under Goondas act or watever act? [After all IR is the worst serial killer in India]

Why not IR be sued for spreading communicable diseases?

These may sound funny but it is serious than Terrorism. Atleast terrorism kills less ppl (for ex, 4000 ppl per year) but IR is killing 4000 per year in Each and every Indian city and town (> 10 times the death due to terrorism) [Aint this sufficient to sue them?]

^^ Its not common sense, its the difficult-ness they face that make them cross the rails!


When I said common sense, I was also pointing to people who sit on roofs of the trains while traveling.

from your words, it appears you have not traveled in a Mumbai local during peak hour. there is no option but to hang from the ledges. and then if you hit a signal pole or your grip slips, whose fault is it?

I'm not saying that there shouldn't be fences, guardrails, cleanliness, etc. The railways should no doubt implement these things and make safety their #1 priority.

What I'm saying is people need to use common sense. If hanging out of the train or riding the roof is dangerous then they shouldn't do it. Don't cross active tracks, this is common sense and you don't need a damn fence to tell you not to do this. Besides, do you think fences will stop these people? They'll jump over them or cut holes in them and continue with their nonsense.

Sammy - well pointed !! Allow me to add to your comments.

FENCING - The railways may well invest in steel / iron fencing but in many parts of Mumbai's railway network, much of the fencing has been bent or simply, CUT AWAY by squatters to be used for their own purpose. Even brick walls have been tampered with (travel the Andheri - Borivali section and u will see what I mean).

On the other hand, I would also like to point out that no matter how much we forumers try to blame the authorities (Railways , police, XYZs) but IF THE JOE Public want to live and travel like daredevils and bring a lower value to their own life through their own actions, then the whole responsibility lies with them in the first place. How much more can we blame the authorities?

The job of policing and corrective measures - IN TERMS OF PENALISING - is so humongous to carry out by any authority - that for every one arrest, there will be 500 other violations. Where do you start and where do you stop?

In my humble opinion, a mass TV advertising campaign needs to be started. For example, see how Amitabh made a difference about making sure parents made time to vaccinate their children for Polio? It did wonders. We need more active participation by well known icons to make a difference. SHOCK MESSAGE advertising is only one way but if it helps educate people, then it is called for.

Of course, the last point, is that the population of Mumbai IS too much to bear alone by the railways. People just DO NOT have any other choice but to hang out of trains to get to work.

BTW - Forumers, I will be in Mumbai from day after tomorrow. Any requests for Pictures ? Please let me know and I will certainly try my best to shoot some metal

Cheers
p2p4

I'm not saying that there shouldn't be fences, guardrails, cleanliness, etc. The railways should no doubt implement these things and make safety their #1 priority.

What I'm saying is people need to use common sense. If hanging out of the train or riding the roof is dangerous then they shouldn't do it. Don't cross active tracks, this is common sense and you don't need a damn fence to tell you not to do this. Besides, do you think fences will stop these people? They'll jump over them or cut holes in them and continue with their nonsense.

FENCING - The railways may well invest in steel / iron fencing but in many parts of Mumbai's railway network, much of the fencing has been bent or simply, CUT AWAY by squatters to be used for their own purpose. Even brick walls have been tampered with (travel the Andheri - Borivali section and u will see what I mean).


Why cant the railways go for concrete walls instead of conventional bricks? CR did them in Navi Mumbai - and breaching Concrete walls is no fun.


The job of policing and corrective measures - IN TERMS OF PENALISING - is so humongous to carry out by any authority - that for every one arrest, there will be 500 other violations. Where do you start and where do you stop?


Why is it humongous? CR has started a penalty drive. The railway act provides for Rs. 1000 Penalty and/or imprisonment for three months. The "crime" is treat as trespass. Three continuous days of hard penalising would do the trick. Mumbai police did manage to bring down drunken driving by constant patrolling - the same can be followed by the railways. Each railway station has atleast 10-15 cops sitting in corners doing nothing - they could be relocated to ends of platforms to ensure that no body even tries to get on to the tracks. The space between two railway tracks should be fenced in areas within the station (like what WR did at many stations).

Why cant the railways go for concrete walls instead of conventional bricks? CR did them in Navi Mumbai - and breaching Concrete walls is no fun.


I second that. When IR is talking about Bullet train now, why not invest in making the existin infra safer?

[QUOTE=binaiks;34391428]Why cant the railways go for concrete walls instead of conventional bricks? CR did them in Navi Mumbai - and breaching Concrete walls is no fun.

p2p4 - Concrete comes in many grades but the quick setting, reinforced with rebar is 'considered' an expensive option, compared to simple bricklaying + cement plaster. THere IS a popular misconception in India that quick setting concrete is expensive hence it is an option not touched upon by many civic authorities.


Binaiks - Why is it humongous? CR has started a penalty drive. The railway act provides for Rs. 1000 Penalty and/or imprisonment for three months. The "crime" is treat as trespass. Three continuous days of hard penalising would do the trick. Mumbai police did manage to bring down drunken driving by constant patrolling - the same can be followed by the railways. Each railway station has atleast 10-15 cops sitting in corners doing nothing - they could be relocated to ends of platforms to ensure that no body even tries to get on to the tracks. The space between two railway tracks should be fenced in areas within the station (like what WR did at many stations).

****
p2p4 - you have valid points in your observation and comparisons to the situation about drink driving statistics coming down due to constant policing. However, I still believe that with the huge number of rail tresspassers / walkabouts happening in Mumbai, you can't do the job with 15-20 cops in any one station. You need mass mobilisation of troops (police troops that is) to keep the Joe Public fall in line.

I would even suggest non-lethal low voltage electrical fencing but then, that's too expensive and with the kind of load shedding going on in Mumbai, my suggestion could be treated a fool's wish.

Cheers
p2p4

p2p4 - you have valid points in your observation and comparisons to the situation about drink driving statistics coming down due to constant policing. However, I still believe that with the huge number of rail tresspassers / walkabouts happening in Mumbai, you can't do the job with 15-20 cops in any one station. You need mass mobilisation of troops (police troops that is) to keep the Joe Public fall in line.



Even 15-20 cops can do wonders. Most people are scared off once you see cops charging at you for crossing the tracks. Instead of fining on the spot, I feel that a warrant should be issued, and they should be directly presented at the Railway Court (Kalyan). Let the court decide.

Appearing at a court, and having a warrant on one's name, are enough social deterrents to make people think twice. The railways have a huge RPF base in Mumbai. The could mobilise the entire contingent to make sure that the move goes successfully. Just writing notices and/or public advertisements would NOT do the trick in these cases.

where there's a will there's a way. sadly if 4,000 deaths does not seem to matter to the powers that be i cant think what will

the three basic problems are :

1. poor civic sense due to poor enforcement
2. overcrowding of trains
3. poor railway infra in terms of bridges, fencing, etc

1 can be solved pretty easily, like the drunk driving case shows. you dont need to fine 100% of the people for it to be successful. fine 10% with a harsh penalty and its deterrent enough for the other 90%

2 is a long term problem that can only be solved by massive investments. why does the railways have such large unused profits anyways. its a government monopoly, it should be operating on a non-profit basis

3 is medium term, but again needs investments from the railways

WR starts replacing defective motors of swanky rakes


Touted as swanky rakes and each coming at a cost of Rs 20 crore, these trains developed snags just within a few months of being introduced.

The WR has procured 25 new rakes, each of which has 16 motors. Of the total number of trains, 17 are already on the tracks, while the remaining eight are at various stages of being commissioned. However, now that faults have been found with the traction motors, each of them will be replaced with a modified version, sent in by Siemens-WR will now replace 400 motors at their car sheds.

"In the first train, it will take four to five days to replace all the motors. We expect to take less time (three days) as we proceed,'' said WR chief public relations officer S S Gupta.

When the trains were first introduced, the city was in awe of their metallic hi-tech look. But after they failed to meet expectations, Siemens and Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, the coordinating body, came under criticism from various quarters. The commuters, obviously, cannot be satisfied with the trains' swanky look when every snag would translate into a delay of at least 20 minutes, which, in turn, would affect the entire network.

A few works ago, fed up with the frequent breakdowns, the railway started damage-control measures. "The modified motors are being assembled at the Kalwa car shed,'' Gupta said.

Source: Mumbai Mirror

Kalyan Panvel Local

I am very much new to this forum , so I might not know all the rules in a forum . I have spend my childhood in mumbai , so I am always eager to stay in touch with the happenings in Mumbai . Does any one over here knows if a direct local train has started between Kalyan and Panvel. I know a direct train has started from Thane to Panvel. Not sure if a Kalyan -Panvel local has started .

French firm to redesign Mumbai CST railway station


New Delhi (PTI): Indian Railways has chosen a French firm to redesign the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, one of the targets of the 26/11 Mumbai terror strikes, as a world class station.

AREP, a subsidiary of the French Railway (SNCF), will conduct the architectural and feasibility study for redesign and redevelopment of the terminus as a world class station on Public-Private-Partnership mode, a senior Railway Ministry official said.

The French engineering and architectural agency will be paid about Rs 10 crore by the Railways for carrying out the study and to suggest a new design for the station, which is a World Heritage Site, by the end of 2009.

According to the proposed redevelopment plan, the station, popularly known as Victoria Terminus, will undergo a massive transformation with facilities like underground parking, better passenger amenities, food plazas and separate terminal for arrival and departure among others.

The Railways has identified 26 stations across the country, which will developed as per international standard.

Besides the Mumbai CST station, New Delhi, Howrah, Agra, Chennai Central, Amritsar, Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Bhopal, Pune, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mathura, Patna, Secunderabad and Thiruvananthapuram railway stations will also be developed as world class stations.

Railway stations are on the threshold of undergoing a massive transformation with world class facilities and passenger amenities.

"With most stations built decades ago and the number of passengers increasing rapidly it is important that these stations are upgraded," said the official.

While the Hongkong-based Terry Farrel has submitted a design for the New Delhi station, railways is considering to seek Chinese help for the redevelopment of Bhubaneswar and Bangalore stations.

The Railways is conducting a traffic study of the area to finalise the redevelopment plan of the New Delhi station.

Source:- http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/004200904051054.htm

i like that a french firm is doing this, they have a value for aesthetics and should be able to keep that in mind with the cst

They need to revamp a lot of stations... Andheri, Bandra, Bombay Central, Borivali, Churchgate, Dadar, and so on....

Source: DNA

Central Railway lends ear to harried commuters

Mumbai: Do you have complaints regarding the performance of the railway staff posted at different stations? Do you think cleanliness and hygiene is not being maintained at the station premise?



If yes, send your complaints or suggestions through SMS or e-mail to the Central Railway (CR). The authorities are hoping to receive commuter (read customer) feedback about the service provided by them.

CR officials feel that irrespective of the different services provided, there is always scope for improvement and added facilities should be provided to the commuters. On the occasion of the 156th anniversary of railway operations in India, CR has decided to introduce this concept on trial basis for six months.

"We have a separate complaint cell wherein commuters can lodge their grievances with the respective station master who then forwards it to the concerned department. The department is then expected to look into the matter and duly submit its report on execution of action towards the complaint," said Shriniwas Mudgerikar, chief PRO of CR.

"Our general manager BB Modgil feels that even after providing different facilities there is always scope for improvement and only commuters will be able to tell
us what they want. Hence we have floated this novel concept of allowing people to send us an SMS on 90044 -11111 or write in to us at feedback@cr.railnet.gov.in. The suggestions/objections will be categorised for short, medium and long-term implementation," Mudgerikar said.

Employees from the signal and telecommunication (S&T), commercial department and the public grievances cell will be working in close coordination. "An action plan on every valid suggestion will be prepared by the concerned department and work will be monitored by the general manager himself," he added.

When asked whether there was any provision to ensure that miscreants do not misuse the service, he said, "We do expect the service to be tampered with but at the same time we cannot neglect valid suggestions from the passengers," he added.

The revamp needs to be done on almost every Indian Railway Station. No more corrugated roofs, bad concrete platforms, poor signage, poor Central PWD type structures for railway stations/rooms, archaic signaling system, soot filled roof tops with pigeons nesting in them, etc. I hope they revamp the railway train too. Every attempt to modernize the carriage and/or railway engine has proved to be a disaster. India needs to go for wholesale revamp into the 21st century. All the old models can be promoted to a museum and children can be taught how not to build a railway system. The problem I have with these foreign tie-ups is that they will deliver something sub-optimal. We need a Tata NANO like task force to revamp everything and deliver world class path breaking solutions. Not the incremental bs we have seen thus far. The railway station, the railway train, the signals, tracks everything can be thought out from 1st principles. I am sure the native talent can deliver the solution ably if they are put to the task.

^ ^ I agree 100%. it hurts me to see such an outdated, ill maintained and pre historic railway system in a wold mega city like mumbai. it seems like we havent developed our railway system any further since british left. we just kept on building the same thing over and over again without any modernization. i hope atleast they make stations look like Delhi metro stations.

Not to belabor the point, but the British were not interested in a railway system for Indians. If you reason this out, they were here in India to loot its wealth. Just the rules they made up for railway freight would make your head dizzy. Why. Because they wanted it to be complex while they happily carted out resources from India. The British also created first class for themselves and cattle class for Indians. They wanted a system that served their needs not Indians. The people who inherited this complex labyrinth of rules/regulation were Indians trained on the British System. Status quo worked since no one was willing to upset the applecart. We need to think a new railway system afresh from a perspective that serves India. To start the process, we need bold out of the box thinking. Railway stations are more important in India than an airport. Airports have undergone a sea change. Now it is the turn for Railway Stations to transform themselves. Millions of Indians use them on a daily basis and why not the very best that takes care of their needs.

In fact, its not even a money issue! If the railways uses all the money they earn from Mumbai Locals to make the mumbai suburban railway better, we could have world class stations, trains etc.

6 Millions people paying Rs. 14 every day for 365 days equals $613 million per year. And this is not including first class passengers who pay much more.

Not to belabor the point, but the British were not interested in a railway system for Indians. If you reason this out, they were here in India to loot its wealth. Just the rules they made up for railway freight would make your head dizzy. Why. Because they wanted it to be complex while they happily carted out resources from India. The British also created first class for themselves and cattle class for Indians.
:ohno:

The British train system was a shining beacon of egalitarianism compared to what India was like before -- anybody could sit in any class as long as they paid for the ticket. Would a Brahmin and a Dalit ever have sat in the same vehicle together before the train?

sad but true :D

i think most people are guilty of romanticising the past. which part depends on you - british rule, mughal rule or pre-mughal india

:ohno:

The British train system was a shining beacon of egalitarianism compared to what India was like before -- anybody could sit in any class as long as they paid for the ticket. Would a Brahmin and a Dalit ever have sat in the same vehicle together before the train?

You live in your own reality. When you are in the business of loot what has egalitarianism got to do with travel. If I recall correctly Mahatma Gandhi was booted out of a train in South Africa. I contend that the British created the "caste" system in India, they also created the culture of corruption in India. Remember they were the looters and the British trained bureaucrats left in charge after their watch transitioned into their boots.

India is an ancient civilization. Its rulers often came from so called lower caste folks e.g. Asoka the Emperor. Caste was not practiced in rigid form like it is now after the onslaught of the Islamic hordes and the British.

Not to belabor the point, but the British were not interested in a railway system for Indians. If you reason this out, they were here in India to loot its wealth. Just the rules they made up for railway freight would make your head dizzy. Why. Because they wanted it to be complex while they happily carted out resources from India. The British also created first class for themselves and cattle class for Indians. They wanted a system that served their needs not Indians. The people who inherited this complex labyrinth of rules/regulation were Indians trained on the British System. Status quo worked since no one was willing to upset the applecart. We need to think a new railway system afresh from a perspective that serves India. To start the process, we need bold out of the box thinking. Railway stations are more important in India than an airport. Airports have undergone a sea change. Now it is the turn for Railway Stations to transform themselves. Millions of Indians use them on a daily basis and why not the very best that takes care of their needs.

read my post again. i didnt praise british for giving us a world class railway system. i am bashing ourselves for not developing it further, we just expanded its exact carbon copy in last 60 years.

Any metro news ?:bash:

If I recall correctly Mahatma Gandhi was booted out of a train in South Africa.
South Africa achieved autonomy from the Brits in 1910. Apartheid was first instituted by Boer (Dutch) republics, and only became law nationwide in 1948.

I contend that the British created the "caste" system in India, they also created the culture of corruption in India.
So you're saying that not only were Indians stupid enough to let the Brits manipulate them, but 60 years later they're still too stupid to stop following them? You seem to have a pretty low opinion of your own people. :nuts:

Or... you could just stop trying to blame others and fix your own damn country. Singapore was under British rule for twenty years longer than India and the British imposed strict divisions between Chinese, Malays and Indians, right down to what jobs each could do and where each group was allowed to live. This explains why Singapore is so racially divided, corrupt and has such bad infrastructure, right? :bash:

barrykul - THE CASTE SYSTEM WAS CREATED BY BRITISH.....LOL...That's the most hilarious thing I have ever heard. Dude, Veda and Bhagvat Gita talk about caste systems in detail.

jpatokal - I don't think you are using the word "egalitarianism" in right context. I don't think the British practiced egalitarianism with Indians at all. But you made a very good point with Singapore's example.

Illusionist - For the most part I agree with you that we should blame ourselves for letting our train system freeze in 1940s. I said I agree with you for the most part because you said "I didn't praise British for giving us a world class railway system". I would go one step further to praise British for giving us the railway system we still rely on today. Brits introduced railway in India in 1853, within just 20 years most Indian cities/towns were connected with Railway. I think that's a praiseworthy feat.

^^
Off Topic but...

Yes the BG/Veda talk about caste but not in the sense of the current day practice. If you read carefully the connotations are more about capability of an individual and his/her disposition towards life. India for a long time lived in perfect peace and harmony without any vicious divisions. The Brits exacerbated the system by actively encouraging divide and conquer.

jpatokal - singapore .. LOL it was a dictator rule, still is.. like the communists, any change is possible. India is a true democracy albeit inefficient. Changes are hard to come by. Just the labyrinths of rules and regulations makes it impossible to start afresh. These rules were made by the British to serve their purpose of looting India. It requires strong leadership which India lacks currently to change.

Illusionist - no disagreement with you. I agree.

^^
India for a long time lived in perfect peace and harmony without any vicious divisions.

I don't agree with you. Way before the Brits came, starting from around 500 B.C. there were Magadh, Nanda, Maurya (Ashok's), Gupta, Mughal, Maratha, Sikh and countless more dynasties in India. Most of those dynasties covered present India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Conquering these regions were not possible without shedding blood. Believe it or not but there was a perfect peace and harmony during the first 100 years of British rule from 1757 - 1857. I think you should follow the facts than your emotions. I know your emotions are based on what you study in the text books in school. But I can tell you that those text books are written by Indians who can be biased towards the facts. By no means I advocate the British rule in India but at least I try to have my opinions based on my brain rather than my heart.

I agree with you that we are off the topic.

I don't agree with you. Way before the Brits came, starting from around 500 B.C. there were Magadh, Nanda, Maurya (Ashok's), Gupta, Mughal, Maratha, Sikh and countless more dynasties in India. Most of those dynasties covered present India, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Conquering these regions were not possible without shedding blood. Believe it or not but there was a perfect peace and harmony during the first 100 years of British rule from 1757 - 1857. I think you should follow the facts than your emotions. I know your emotions are based on what you study in the text books in school. But I can tell you that those text books are written by Indians who can be biased towards the facts. By no means I advocate the British rule in India but at least I try to have my opinions based on my brain rather than my heart.

I agree with you that we are off the topic.way to switch context.. his "vicious divisions" was sorely in the context of the caste system which was far less violent in those days. not in the context of the princely states who were at war with each other. the british and after that the congress have firmly mastered the art of divide and conquer.
anyways we are straying off topic..

way to switch context.. his "vicious divisions" was sorely in the context of the caste system which was far less violent in those days. not in the context of the princely states who were at war with each other. the british and after that the congress have firmly mastered the art of divide and conquer.
anyways we are straying off topic..

I was addressing his comment about "the perfect peace and harmony before the brits came". Read the entire post(s) before jumping in to a conversation.

Trains will sport Yellow color

Coaches will now sport yellow facades, as employees had complained that black is not visible from a distance

Western Railway (WR) has agreed to change the black facade of the motor coaches of the new rakes to vibrant yellow.

The decision follows repeated complaints by gangmen and trackmen that the black Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) rakes, are not clearly visible from a distance and this could lead to accidents.

"We can't see the train coming in till it is dangerously close. Locations where the tracks curve suddenly are even more dangerous, as you don't realise the train is so near, till it gets really close," said a gangman.

There have been instances when gangmen have been knocked down or run over by the new black MRVC motor coaches.

We have therefore demanded that the colour be changed," said D Y Mahale, president of the Western Railway Employees Union, Mumbai division.

Changing colours

WR Chief Public Relations Officer S S Gupta said, "The front of the new MRVC rakes will be painted yellow to make them more visible.

In the light of the feedback we have received so far, we have decided to change the colour of all 16 MRVC coaches."

Except for the motor coach in the front, all MRVC rakes with WR will retain their violet and off-white colour scheme.

While, the repainting of coaches has already begun, WR authorities have not announced a deadline by which the painting will be completed.

Swanky train
The MRVC procured 174 12-car new generation trains replacing the age-old trains on Central and Western railways.

Each 12-coach train costs Rs 20 crore, and were manufactured by the Integral Coach Factory, Chennai.

Source: Mid-day

WR starts replacing defective motors of swanky rakes

Source: Mumbai Mirror

Nice little business. First buy swanky rakes with defective parts, then start replacing those parts. By the time the parts are replaced its time to replace the rakes. Repeat the procedure.

MMRDA plans 100-km monorail network in Mumbai

Project estimated to cost Rs 12,000 cr.

Source (http://www.blonnet.com/2009/05/02/stories/2009050251111100.htm)

Mumbai, May 1 The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning a 100-km network of monorail in the Mumbai metropolitan area in next seven years. The project is likely to cost about Rs 12,000 crore.

The work for laying the first phase 19.54 km line is already under way. The line will connect Gadge Maharaj Chowk in central Mumbai with Chembur Station in the eastern suburb.

A source close to the development said that the MMRDA has already given the task of preparing detail project report to an international consultant. Areas such as Kalyan, Bhiwandi, Panvel in the metropolitan area would get benefited from the expanded network.
Advantages

MMRDA is keen to set up the monorail system as it can be easily built. In comparison to other mass transport systems (like metro rail), the monorail takes much less time to build. The Maharashtra Government, which is controlling MMRDA, wants to showcase it as an achievement to the people.

In a monorail system the train runs on a narrow beam, wheels of which are gripped laterally on either side of the beam. It is a lightweight system and its cost of execution is less compared to conventional rail systems. Monorail requires 1.0 m wide space and it rests on a single pillar of height 6.5 m without disturbing the existing traffic. Each hour the monorail with four coaches can carry ferry 8,000 to 12,000 person. Compared to other mass transport systems, the monorail produces less noise and hence can be installed in a dense residential locality. In Tokyo, the system has been in use since 1963.

The first phase of the system is being developed by a consortium led by Larsen & Toubro and Malaysia-based Scomi Engineering Bhd.

The Rs 2,460-crore order for a 19.54-km stretch has been awarded to the consortium by MMRDA in November 2008.

Scomi is among the top three global monorail manufacturers offering urban transportation solutions such as monorail electro-mechanical systems and rolling stock.

'plans' being the key word

kewlbatty i have posted to the mumbai monorail thread as well.

^^ hey thanks jubin!! I forgot that a thread for the monorail existed! :D

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/05/06/004/06_05_2009_004_001.jpg

Source: HT

Local train getting decongested: Railway
(http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/15/20090506200905060331573705c4be274/Local-train-getting-decongested-Railway.html)
It may not seem so in this sweltering heat but your local commute just got easier. An extensive survey conducted by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation through mid-March to April, and across Central, Western and Harbour lines has revealed that the density of commuters per rake has dropped by 14 per cent as compared to last year.

Mumbai’s suburban railway system has one of the highest densities of commuters per train in the world, to the extent that “packed like sardines” has become the most common phrase to describe the commuters in our locals. But now, the survey reveals, the number of commuters per train has dropped from 4,700 to 4,100.

“Two factors have helped reduce number of commuters per coach - introduction of 47 new rakes and most of the 9-coach trains being converted into 12-coach trains. This has happened for the first time in last 50 years that the congestion on local trains has reduced,” MRVC Managing Director P C Sehgal said. The trend so far has been that the congestion never came down. From 1950 to 2007, the number of trains rose by 329 per cent, but the number of passengers went up by 783 per cent. The coaches, in recent times, had been carrying passengers more than two and half times their capacity. MRVC officials are most pleased with the survey findings since the World Bank had stipulated while awarding funds for Mumbai Urban Transport Project (under which the new rakes were purchased) that the crowds on trains must come down to bearable levels.

Arrival of more new trains (four trains every month) is likely to make it even more comfortable. It’s still some distance to go, but this is a beginning.

The survey was carried out with help of Central and Western Railway and MRVC officials who boarded coaches during different hours of the day and went about doing an actual head count of commuters. They also counted how many people boarded and alighted at different stations. The statistics thus gathered was used to arrive at an average number of commuters travelling on Mumbai trains this year. The survey, which is part of a drive, started in March and culminated on April 30.

Corresponding to the change in railway figures, Mumbai’s other public transport utility, Brihanmumbai Electricity and Suburban Transport undertaking has reported an increase of over two lakh commuters per day. BEST authorities insist they did not gain any commuters from railways and in fact complimented the train services by starting more bus ferries from railway stations to the inner areas of the suburbs.

“Our studies suggested that we needed more services there and would attract more commuters if we extended our services to newly constructed housing complexes and colonies. We rescheduled bus timings and increased services during peak hours and concentrated on bulk routes, which helped,” said BEST Officer on Special Duty Victor Naigaonkar.

They do this in the NYC Subway

New brakes in suburban trains will save energy


Mumbai: In a bid to reduce electricity consumption in trains, Railways have decided to incorporate new generation regenerative brakes in new suburban trains, a move that will help in reusing 25 to 30% of the energy spent.


This technology would be incorporated in new EMU rakes that are likely to be operated on the Mumbai suburban section. A project design document has already been prepared in this regard and made public to elicit views of the stakeholders, a senior railway ministry official said.

Regenerative brakes make use of the energy that is lost when a train running on electrified tracks applies brakes and converts it into reusable energy, thus saving on the energy input required to operate.

"In this way, it is capable of regenerating 25 to 30% of the energy used," the official said. Delhi Metro exemplifies the successful use of this technology. Railways also expect creation of employment opportunities with the adoption of this technology, besides the environmental benefit it would bring.

Jobs would open up for semi-skilled and skilled professionals in Indian Railways during implementation, operation and maintenance of regenerative breaking system in the EMUs, he said.

Source: DNA

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Photographs/2009/05/27/003/27_05_2009_003_004_002.jpg

Western Railway’s ambitious project to build a terminus for long-distance trains at Dadar has run into a 117-year-old obstacle. The project was conceived in 2007 and work began the same year, but authorities have now realised that trains cannot be terminated on platform number 6, as it can’t be connected to shunting yards because of a temple at the southern end. ..... Read More (http://www.marathikatta.com/Mumbai/new-dadar-terminus-faces-divine-obstacle/)

unbelievable. sometimes i just shake my head at indian planning, or the lack of it. and sometimes i wonder whether its deliberate

Western Railway’s ambitious project to build a terminus for long-distance trains at Dadar has run into a 117-year-old obstacle. The project was conceived in 2007 and work began the same year, but authorities have now realised that trains cannot be terminated on platform number 6, as it can’t be connected to shunting yards because of a temple at the southern end. ..... Read More (http://www.marathikatta.com/Mumbai/new-dadar-terminus-faces-divine-obstacle/)

Utter Bullshit! How can they not notice a temple till 90% of the work is completed?

They should and would have noticed it while doing technical drawings.

Like a school kid they're saying, I dint notice till now! :nuts:

Another delay and lots of money in the drain.

cant they just put that track underground or something?

im not familiar with the details of this project, but it seems to me that the solution does not require that much more work.

im not familiar with the details of this project, but it seems to me that the solution does not require that much more work.

True, but you missed the fact that India usually governed and administrated by a bunch of morons who by the way should be in the jail some times rather than be in the office.

This is where RELIGION plays the spoil sport. I am sure the thought of moving the temple to some other location would have been thought of by the planners but then again, the saffron brigade + vested interests in the political arena may have threatened the railways into submission.

I wouldn't even compare this situation to another country north of India. But talking of a forward looking, no-nonsense Chief Minister in a state north of Maharashtra, he'd have simply given an ultimatum to the temple body, moved deity and roof, given compensation + land to build another one in some other location. He did pretty much the same when the road widening projects that he undertook, hit stumbling blocks from both, the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Sometimes the stoicity and blind faith of religion that comes in the way of common-sense (and development) just keeps you aghast !

p2p4

if you mean modi he is hardly someone i would point out as an example of an unbiased politician who treats all religions with equal contempt or doesnt believe religion has anything to do with the business of the state. i would like if our politicians are like that, but modi is not

now come to think of it, there is no need to put anything underground (although it would probably help in the long run). You guys are right, simply move the temple and give them some money and (maybe) land. Problem solved for even less cost. India needs to put its brains to good use, cuz its definitely there...

the word "secular" is in the Constitution is it not? :bash:

if you mean modi he is hardly someone i would point out as an example of an unbiased politician who treats all religions with equal contempt or doesnt believe religion has anything to do with the business of the state. i would like if our politicians are like that, but modi is not

yeah and lalu, mulayam, sonia, karuna, paswan, maya are secular.

no one said they are

12-car trains may ply on Harbour line sooner than you thought
Source: timesofindia (http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Mumbai/12-car-trains-may-ply-on-Harbour-line-sooner-than-you-thought/articleshow/4614536.cms)

MUMBAI: Twelve-coach trains on Harbour line may be a reality sooner than you expected. The scheme to increase the carrying capacity of the nine-coach trains was supposed to be part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (phase III) and would have been operational by 2030. It, however, has now been included in MUTP-II, which means that 12-coach trains will run on the Harbour line in the next four years.

Running 12-car rakes on this line is a pressing need, said railway officials. Statistics show a significant growth in the number of passengers over the last five years. There has been a 37% rise in passenger volume between 2003-'04 and 2007-'08.

The budget for increasing the length of Harbour line trains is Rs 500 crore, which includes extension of platforms and stabling sidings, modification of bridges and alteration of yard layouts. It will also entail more power supply, modification of overhead wires, re-spacing of signals and modification of track circuits. At least 10 12-car rakes are also needed to augment the services.

There is more good news in store for you, though you may not see the results on the ground right away. Work on MUTP-III can officially begin-at least the feasibility studies of various projects-now that the government of Maharashtra has agreed to share project costs.

"The state government has sent the proposal to the Railway Board to undertake the technical evaluation for MUTP-III. We shall send a proposal to the Railway Board for the next year's budget,'' Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) managing director P C Sehgal said. The government recently carried out a transport study for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. It recommended capacity enhancement of the suburban railway network in Mumbai. "It has been suggested that the MRVC should carry out a techno-economic feasibility study under MUTP-III,'' Sehgal said.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/06/04/002/04_06_2009_002_006.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/06/23/004/23_06_2009_004_009.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

FINALLY!!!

Articles like the above dismay me very much. I am not doubting the sincerity of the Manager who came up with some action plan to improve things. The reason why this dismays me is that like many other things, systems simply don't do what they are supposed to do. People have accepted this as the norm and not complained enough or put a halt to operations until things are solved. You would expect the railways to have designed a system wherein these routine things get done in an efficient manner. They certainly have people designated to do such work. They also have people to inspect and report the work. And management is supposed to keep track of all of this. That is what you expect. But alas this not what the reality is with railways and many other public systems. Clearly 1 person cannot do everything. Modgil at least is taking his job seriously and fixing things. What about other managers in other Railway Depts and what the heck are they doing. The problem can be traced back to simply people not doing their job for what they are being paid. From the person who is supposed to clean, the person who is supposed to inspect and the manager who ticks of the work order as being done. Yes all of them are not doing their jobs.

The media only reports when things happen, the staid state of affairs does not bother them. They should be writing day in and out about how bad railway stations are being kept. A fire should be lit under all managers of railways and prodded daily about the state of affairs. Why does India deserve such inaction.

Articles like the above dismay me very much. I am not doubting the sincerity of the Manager who came up with some action plan to improve things. The reason why this dismays me is that like many other things, systems simply don't do what they are supposed to do. People have accepted this as the norm and not complained enough or put a halt to operations until things are solved. You would expect the railways to have designed a system wherein these routine things get done in an efficient manner. They certainly have people designated to do such work. They also have people to inspect and report the work. And management is supposed to keep track of all of this. That is what you expect. But alas this not what the reality is with railways and many other public systems. Clearly 1 person cannot do everything. Modgil at least is taking his job seriously and fixing things. What about other managers in other Railway Depts and what the heck are they doing. The problem can be traced back to simply people not doing their job for what they are being paid. From the person who is supposed to clean, the person who is supposed to inspect and the manager who ticks of the work order as being done. Yes all of them are not doing their jobs.

The media only reports when things happen, the staid state of affairs does not bother them. They should be writing day in and out about how bad railway stations are being kept. A fire should be lit under all managers of railways and prodded daily about the state of affairs. Why does India deserve such inaction.
this kinda attitude barrykul, is a result of the corrupt politicians running our government since ages. our constitution is a good one, but they are misusing it. which is why the babus think they can get away with it(attitude towards work and duty), since the ministers above them are also useless. and its pretty much our fault also, as instead of voicing against the system we have opted to live with it!

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/06/29/004/29_06_2009_004_007.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/07/03/005/03_07_2009_005_006.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

I wouldn't even compare this situation to another country north of India. But talking of a forward looking, no-nonsense Chief Minister in a state north of Maharashtra, he'd have simply given an ultimatum to the temple body, moved deity and roof, given compensation + land to build another one in some other location. He did pretty much the same when the road widening projects that he undertook, hit stumbling blocks from both, the Hindu and Muslim communities.

Absolutely.

He ordered demolition of so many temples in Ahmedabad and Vadodara that the VHP and many within the BJP compared him to Mahmud Ghazni.

But once the dust settled, the end result was better infrastructure for the general public (whichever God/s they believe in)

With all the incredible construction ongoing and lined up in Bombay, lets not for a second forget that its by no means guaranteed that Bombay will emerge as the Global City we all want it to, simply on the basis of being Bombay.

Yes, its fantastic that there is so much construction ongoing and lined up for Bombay, 81flrs here, 101flrs there etc...

But, if there continue to be so many delays with regards to Local Trains, Metro-Rail, Nhava-Sewri Sea Link, Extension of BWSL to Nariman Point, Navi Mumbai International Airport, Dharavi Redevelopment etc then we really shouldnt ignore the possibility that Bombay may be in danger of ending up like a large-scale overpopulated Gurgaon, full of fancy buildings but without the infrastructure to support itself.

Dont get me wrong, I absolutely love the City (and feel gutted knowing that I wont be there this summer for the first time in a long time!), but thats why I say this with geniune concern at the fact that the people in power are nowhere near as proactive as they should be and dont at all seem to have the kind of long-term sustainable vision of development and modernisation that is so apparent in Gujarat.

http://img44.imageshack.us/img44/6817/08072009004013.jpg

http://img23.imageshack.us/img23/7917/17072009522010.jpg

Just use pressure washer with chemicals of high PSI. If they can get oil stains from the garage floor, "paan ki pichkaari" is a small thing.

Just use pressure washer with chemicals of high PSI. If they can get oil stains from the garage floor, "paan ki pichkaari" is a small thing.

That doesn't always work and the chemicals are likely not environmentally safe. Even NYC Subways use some sort of coating. They also put them through an automatic train wash on a regular basis.

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/Web/HTMumbai/Article/2009/07/23/004/23_07_2009_004_020.jpg

Source: Hindustan Times

Finally some relief here.

No more stalling trains



Western, Central Railway repair faulty motors on all new rakes

By Nilesh Nikade
Posted On Thursday, July 23, 2009 at 02:38:46 AM

Radheshyam Giri, 32, a businessman from Thane, had stopped boarding the swanky purple-silver locals after they broke down twice, forcing him to jump off the train and walk on the tracks to the nearest railway station. This has been a frequent occurrence for thousands of commuters ever since the new rakes were introduced in November 2007 to, ironically, make commuting more comfortable.

But people like him need not worry any more. Authorities on Western and Central Railway claim to have rectified the problem - faulty traction motors - on all the new rakes that were manufactured by German company Siemens.

When inducted by WR in November 2007 and CR in February 2008, everyone flocked to the new rakes.

But a few months later, they problems began. As many as 107 breakdowns were reported on WR/CR in February and March 2009. Almost in each case, the train had to be towed away, disrupting the entire schedule.

An investigation revealed that the motors broke down because they could not take the load, which during peak hours can go up to thrice the capacity of the train.

Faced with an increasing number of cases of motor failure, WR refrained from inducting more new rakes. As a result, it did not meet its target of introducing 160 new services in the last financial year.

A faulty traction motor (above) being removed from a rake (right) at Central Railway’s Kurla Carshed

On the other hand, CR, which had added 150 services with the help of the new rakes was finding it difficult to stick to the time table.

Railway Board officials pulled up Siemens, which was asked to submit a new design in April. The company started supplying modified motors by April-end.

A senior railway official had said, “Replacing motors on all the rakes will take another four months.” In other words, the problem was not expected to be rectified before August.

But, over the last two months, employees of WR/CR worked round-the-clock to rectify the problem.

S S Gupta, Chief PRO of WR, said, “We had to carefully remove the traction motors, replace their parts, test them and fix it again. The entire procedure took at least three to four days for each rake. In a remarkable feat, 752 traction motors were replaced on CR/WR within three months.” Simultaneously, the carshed staff was trying to prevent breakdowns in rakes that still had the old motors. Shriniwas Mudgerikar, Chief PRO on CR, said, “Our staff was constantly monitoring the rakes with old traction motors. They used to identify the ones that showed signs of breaking down and replaced them at the earliest. This process prevented many breakdowns on the tracks.”

There has not been a single case of traction motor failure on CR/WR since June 1. P C Sehgal, MD of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, said, “It is indeed remarkable. But with the changes in the motor design, we hope the rakes will not let down Mumbai’s commuters. We continue to monitor the traction motors.”

Source: Mumbai Mirror

http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/511/04082009002005.jpg

Ladies only EMU

http://tm.dinakaran.com/682009/TM_06-08-09_E1_06-02%20CNI.jpg

^^^^:)

Ladies only EMU



I wish they had some hot chicks instead of auties. :lol: :lol:

Masjid stn facelift project finally started ... read more (http://www.projectscommunity.com/story.php?title=masjid-stn-facelift-project-flagged-off)
Is it going to get any different and innovative look ?

Nice updates. I just want to see more of such news. All the stations need to be renovated.

Nice updates. I just want to see more of such news. All the stations need to be renovated.

Well bhargavsura one more update Revamped Masjid is back on track .. read More (http://www.projectscommunity.com/story.php?title=revamped-masjid-is-back-on-track)

Work on line 7 in CR to begin soon

The recent demolition of the 140-year-old Masjid Bunder road overbridge has cleared the decks not only for additional platforms but more significantly for accommodating a seventh line.

According to railway sources, this key project of laying seventh line will commence soon and is being accorded top priority as it will decongest the section.

“At present, the outstation trains arriving at CST and departing from here are sent to Wadi Bunder and Mazgaon for routine maintenance and cleaning. This up and down operation is done on fast tracks hampering the smooth running of local trains,” said a CR engineer. “After the seventh line will be introduced, to and fro operations from CST will be done on this additional line resulting in improved frequency and punctuality of suburban trains,” the engineer added.

However, according to officials, laying seventh line will be a tough task. “The existing lines will be slewed (rotated on its axis) towards west side to make space for the seventh line. The overhead wire equipment will also have to be shifted according to the position of tracks,” said KK Sharma, chief administrative officer (construction), CR. The portal frame for the overhead equipment has already been installed over the lines.

According to Sharma, the work on the line will be completed by December.

Source: Indian Express

CR to install LED indicators at Stations

Indicators at the suburban stations of the Central Railway (CR) will soon be replaced by Graphical-based Light Emitting Diodes (LED) indicators. According to railway sources, new indicators will give an elaborate information on the expected time to be taken by the next arriving train on the platform.

LED screens were initially installed at suburban and long distance sections of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) early this year. It proved to be effective and was well accepted by the commuters, according to railway sources.

“To start with, we will install 60 LED screen indicators at major stations in the suburban section. An amount of Rs 2 crore has already been sanctioned for this,” said R C Agrawal, chief signal and telecom engineer, Central Railway (CR). “Additional indicators with clock type time display will be installed on 94 platforms of 29 suburban stations.

The LED screen will have a detailed classification of trains also. The Western Railway (WR) uses neon colour in its indicators.

The Central Railway currently uses cluster bulb based LED screens. “We had received complaints saying that these bulbs were not functional during monsoon,” said a railway official.

“Moreover, the graphical based screens are commuter-friendly.”

According to railway authorities, the bulb-based indicators show only train timings and code of the station, whereas the LED screens will display the name of the station also.

“By June 2010, we will be introducing the Train Management System and this will help us monitor the indicators at the station,” Agrawal said.

Source: Indian Express

Roana Maria Costa, TNN 31 August 2009, 12:45am IST

MUMBAI: The much touted 15-car rake for the Western Railway, which was ready by July after the trial runs, is lying in the yard as Union railway

minister Mamata Banerjee has not found any convenient date for the flag-off ceremony, sources said.

"It will be the longest suburban train in the world and WR is waiting for Mamata Banerjee to flag it off. The minister allegedly refused to grace the occasion because she is too preoccupied with West Bengal now with the upcoming state elections,'' said the source.

Meanwhile, some railway officials denied that was the case and said there are some technical problems. However, they could not explain what technical glitches had delayed the induction of the rake.

The 15-car rake has a 30% extra carrying capacity and around 1,500 more commuters will be able to travel during peak hours. It is after adding three coaches to an existing 12-car rake. The railways have used the new hi-tech swanky white and purple Siemens rakes each which comes at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

"Everything is in place for the historic moment. The trials have been conducted and even the time table is in place. But now there is no date for the flag-off,'' the source said. The public relations department of the WR was tight lipped on the issue.

According to plans, the first 15-car rake, to be run on an experimental basis, was between Dadar and Virar with halts at Andheri, Borivli and Vasai. These are stations which have long distance platforms. Each train was expected to make between 8-10 trips a day.

By December, WR had plans to have at least three such augmented trains. Also, the opening of the last leg for the extension of WR up to Dahanu is expected very soon.

Sources said that Banerjee is trying to get more projects sanctioned for her state. "Mumbai has been sidelined and is reflected in this year's rail budget. Even though the study for the elevated corridor has been carried out, no funds were sanctioned,'' he said. The elevated railway corridor was touted to be the solution to Mumbai's overcrowded trains.



Source : TOI
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/NEWS/City/Mumbai/WRs-15-car-rake-ready-but-no-flag-off-date-yet/articleshow/4952389.cms

1500 people in 3 cars, so around 500 in one car against the rated carrying capacity of 200 people. Wow.

1500 people in 3 cars, so around 500 in one car against the rated carrying capacity of 200 people. Wow.

The word "more" in the sentence is wrong. This is another example of poor proof reading by journalists/editors.

:delete: