300-foot wall at CSMT painted by Hubballi artists ahead of Modi visit

For the last three or four days, a cleanliness and beautifying spree has been on at the two platforms. Rail tracks have been cleared, water tanks cleaned, lights and cable connections fixed and escalators repaired among other housekeeping activities

Mumbai: Platform No 18 will be the focal point for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) station on Friday when two Vande Bharat trains to Solapur and Shirdi will be flagged off from platforms 18 and 17.

300-foot wall at CSMT painted by Hubballi artists ahead of Modi visit

For the last three or four days, a cleanliness and beautifying spree has been on at the two platforms. Rail tracks have been cleared, water tanks cleaned, lights and cable connections fixed and escalators repaired among other housekeeping activities. A 300-foot wall behind the podium built on Platform No 18 has been painted by artists from Hubballi.

Tickets for the two Vande Bharat trains are available for booking from 8 am on Friday. With the addition of these two trains, the tally of Vande Bharat trains to be operated by Indian Railways goes up to 10.

According to the timetable, the Mumbai-Shirdi Vande Bharat will depart from CSMT at 6.20 am and arrive at Sainagar Shirdi at 11.40 am. The same evening, the train will depart Sainagar Shirdi at 5.25 pm and reach CSMT at 10.50 pm. This train has halts at Dadar, Thane and Nashik stations.

Meanwhile, the Mumbai-Solapur Vande Bharat will depart CSMT at 4.05 pm and reach Solapur at 10.40 pm. The return journey from Solapur will begin at 6.05 am and reach CSMT at 12.35 pm. This train will halt at Dadar, Kalyan, Pune and Kurduwadi stations.

The Vande Bharats score in speed over currently running trains. While the Shirdi Sainagar Express from Dadar to Shirdi takes around six hours, Vande Bharat will take five hours and 24 minutes. Likewise, the running Mumbai-Solapur Siddheshwar Express takes seven hours and 54 minutes while the Vande Bharat will take six hours and 35 minutes to cover the same distance.

“Both these trains will ensure a comfortable journey, reach faster, have good quality food and the best of amenities at affordable fares. The trains have been installed with improved fire-fighting safety measures, a talk-back facility with the driver, a 32-inch passenger interaction system in every coach and other facilities,” said a senior Central Railway official.

The trains have also been fitted with Kavach, the Train Collision Avoidance System. Sources said that the two Vande Bharat trains can reach 160 kmph in 129 seconds though the existing tracks and route can support only up to 120-130 kmph, while the speed will come further down to 55 kmph in the ghats of Thal and Bhor. Incidentally, this will be the first time since 1853, the year that Indian Railways first started from Mumbai, that an engineless train will run on the steep slopes of this ghat route on the Karjat-Lonavala and Kasara-Igatpuri sections.