Central Railway Proposes Major Operational Shift to Ease Mumbai's Rail Congestion
The Central Railway has put forward a significant proposal aimed at tackling chronic delays on Mumbai's suburban network. Officials want to shift ten long-distance trains away from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Dadar station. This move targets the severe congestion plaguing the Main Line corridors.
Diverting Trains to Free Up Crucial Paths
Under the plan, five pairs of express trains would no longer terminate in south Mumbai. Instead, they would originate or conclude their journeys at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus or Panvel. Railway authorities have sent this proposal to the Railway Board for formal approval.
The primary goal is to liberate precious path slots on the heavily used CSMT–Kasara and CSMT–Karjat routes. These slots are currently occupied by long-haul services that often run behind schedule. By moving these trains, the railway estimates it can create space for approximately fifteen additional suburban services every day.
Addressing the Cascade of Delays
Senior officials explain that late-running express trains frequently disrupt the tightly packed timetable of local services. "Every day, dozens of local services are delayed because incoming express trains overshoot their allocated slots," a senior CR official stated. This creates a cascading effect that severely impacts peak-hour operations for thousands of commuters.
The problem intensifies during the winter months. Fog in northern India delays Mumbai-bound trains, pushing their arrival from early morning into the suburban rush hour. Trains scheduled between 4 am and 5 am often arrive around 7 am or 8 am, causing major conflicts.
Central Railway's internal assessment suggests around forty suburban services face daily disruptions due to these conflicts with long-distance trains.
Identifying the Trains and Boosting Capacity
The trains identified for terminal changes include several key services:
- Rajyarani Express
- Nagercoil Express
- Dadar–Tirunelveli Superfast Express
- Thiruvananthapuram Central Express
- Hapa Duronto
To offset any inconvenience from the terminal shifts, the railway has a complementary proposal. It plans to increase the length of long-distance trains from the current 16–20 coaches to 24 coaches. This expansion will boost passenger capacity significantly.
Utilizing Underused Infrastructure and Future Benefits
The strategy involves making better use of existing infrastructure. The LTT–Kalyan corridor has five to six lines that are relatively underused. Terminating some services at Panvel, which is nearly 60 kilometers short of CSMT, is another part of the plan.
"Just by changing terminals, we can introduce around 15 extra suburban services," the senior official emphasized. Six of these new services could operate during peak hours, potentially accommodating 40,000 to 50,000 more commuters without any additional fare burden.
The railway is now awaiting formal clearance to implement these changes. Separately, Central Railway is also planning to reintroduce 14 AC local train services on the Harbour Line starting Republic Day.
