Installation of high-speed rail line to be completed by October: CR

The leap in train speeds will save travel time and provide buffer space to add more services in the future, a CR official said, adding, “We are working on improving the condition of rail tracks and eliminating speed restrictions. Once this is complete by October end, it will benefit the train operations”

Mumbai: The 15 lakh-odd passengers on the CSMT-Panvel Harbour line and the Thane-Vashi Trans-harbour network of the Central Railway (CR) can now heave a sigh of relief as the authorities are on the last leg of upgrading the rail tracks that will augment permissible speeds of local trains from 80 kmph to 105 kmph, reducing the travel time. The work started earlier this year.

There are 10 to 12 lakh daily commuters travelling on the Harbour line, and two to three lakh commuters ply on the Trans-harbour line that connects newly developed business hubs in Airoli, Ghansoli on the Thane-Vashi route. For years, people residing in the satellite town have been complaining about the poor services of trains in the area (HT PHOTO)

The leap in train speeds will save travel time and provide buffer space to add more services in the future, a CR official said, adding, “We are working on improving the condition of rail tracks and eliminating speed restrictions. Once this is complete by October end, it will benefit the train operations.”

The improvement works on the Harbour line are on stretches across the entire CSMT-Panvel route, another CR official said. He added, “There is lesser scope to improve train speeds on the CSMT-Tilak Nagar stretch. However, with upgraded engineering works, train operations from Tilak Nagar to Panvel will certainly benefit commuters as the distance between stations is longer. We anticipate the journey time to be reduced by five to seven minutes under normal conditions.”

There are 10 to 12 lakh daily commuters travelling on the Harbour line, and two to three lakh commuters ply on the Trans-harbour line that connects newly developed business hubs in Airoli, Ghansoli on the Thane-Vashi route. For years, people residing in the satellite town have been complaining about the poor services of trains in the area.

Pankaj Benvanshi, 28, a resident of Nerul, is a daily commuter on the Harbour line. “For years, we have been hearing about the improvement works, however, trains on the Harbour line are always slow and delayed. If the railways are actually doing this work, it will benefit us, provided trains run punctually,” he said.

CR authorities are addressing issues that will ease train movement and remove speed restrictions. Permanent speed restrictions are levied due to impending technical or engineering issues on a particular stretch of route. These can be either the curvature of rail tracks, the topography, the alignment of the rail line or any other engineering flaw.

“Whenever I take the Thane-Vashi line, I make sure there is buffer time kept as trains on the trans harbour are always delayed. This upgradation of tracks will hopefully improve the situation,” Wasim Kazi, a resident of Ambernath, who travels to Navi Mumbai for work, said.

The CR operates 1,810 services every day, of which they run 894 on the Main line, 614 on the Harbour line, 262 on the Trans-harbour and 40 services on the Belapur-Kharkopar corridor.