CR plan to shift long-distance trains from CSMT, Dadar may add capacity of 15 local services

Central Railway plans to shift long-distance trains from CSMT to LTT/Panvel, potentially adding 40,000-50,000 peak-hour commuters to local services.

MUMBAI: At least 40,000 to 50,000 additional commuters could be accommodated on Central Railway’s Main line local trains during peak hours if a proposal to shift select long-distance trains away from Mumbai’s busiest terminals gets the go-ahead.

CR plan to shift long-distance trains from CSMT, Dadar may add capacity of 15 local services

Central Railway (CR) has prepared a plan to move five pairs of long-distance trains, currently arriving and departing from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Dadar Terminus, to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Panvel. Officials said the move could free up path slots equivalent to running around 15 additional suburban services on the CSMT–Kasara/Karjat corridor.

The proposal has been forwarded to the Railway Board for final approval. Sources said the objective is to divert long-distance trains to the five to six lines available on the LTT–Kalyan corridor, or terminate them at Panvel instead of bringing them nearly 60 km further into CSMT.

CR officials said long-distance trains frequently infringe on suburban timetables, leading to daily delays. “Around 40 local trains get delayed every day during morning and evening peak hours because of long-distance trains running late,” an official said, adding that the plan aims to restore punctuality and reduce cascading disruptions.

Apart from the five pairs identified for terminal change, the proposal also includes rescheduling six additional pairs of long-distance trains by 10 minutes to as much as seven hours, depending on operational feasibility. The changes, officials said, would help ease suburban operations and improve punctuality.

Among the trains proposed to be shifted to LTT and/or Panvel are Rajyarani Express, Nagercoil Express, Dadar–Tirunelveli Superfast Express, Thiruvananthapuram Central Express and Hapa Duronto, among others. CR has also proposed increasing the length of these trains to 24 coaches from the current 16 to 20, to augment passenger capacity.

“The mere change in terminuses away from CSMT and Dadar will help us run 15 additional suburban services. Six of these can be operated during morning and evening peak hours, increasing carrying capacity without any public money spent. We are awaiting a go-ahead so it can be implemented,” a CR official said.

The plan comes amid recurring delays in suburban operations caused by late-arriving long-distance trains, particularly during winter when dense fog in north India disrupts schedules. Trains scheduled to reach Mumbai between 4 and 5am are often arriving at 7 to 8 a.m., impacting local services between 7 and 11am, officials said.

Sources said local trains heading towards Mumbai from Kasara and Karjat are among the worst hit. Several long-distance trains including Godan Express, Chhapra Express, Mumbai LTT Superfast Express, Mahanagari Express, Kamayani Express and Kashi Express frequently arrive behind schedule, leading to delays of 20 to 25 minutes in local services during morning peak hours.

Officials said around 40 to 50 suburban services are affected daily during peak and non-peak periods, causing crowding both at stations and inside trains.

Passenger groups, however, have warned that shifting train terminals could inconvenience long-distance travellers. “This could benefit lakhs of daily local train commuters, but it comes at the cost of long-distance passengers who will be inconvenienced. Going to Panvel with luggage will be an issue,” said Madhu Kotian, president of the Mumbai Railway Pravasi Sangh.

CR may also require a couple of additional rakes to run the proposed extra services. Separately, the railway plans to reintroduce 14 AC local services on the Harbour line from January 26.