More AC locals, Kavach for Mumbai

Three days before the General Budget, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held an eight-hour marathon meeting on Friday with Western and Central rail authorities at Churchgate, focusing on safety and development projects in Mumbai

MUMBAI: Three days before the General Budget, Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw held an eight-hour marathon meeting on Friday with Western and Central rail authorities at Churchgate, focusing on safety and development projects in Mumbai. Key decisions included reviving plans for 238 air-conditioned local trains, assessing the status of the fifth and sixth rail lines, and revamping the signalling system with Kavach and communication-based train control (CBTC). During the meeting, a goods train derailed near Dungri station in Gujarat.

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More AC locals, mega terminals for Mumbai

The meeting, initially scheduled to end by 3 pm, extended until 6 pm. Attendees included officers from the Central Railway, Western Railway, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, Konkan Railway, Rail Land Development Authority, and other railway entities. Vaishnaw emphasised several key priorities, including augmenting Mumbai’s suburban rail capacity, enhancing safety measures for long-distance trains, and integrating railway stations with urban landscapes.

Vaishnaw urged authorities to expedite the procurement process for 238 air-conditioned local trains for Mumbai, which are part of MUTP-3 and 3A and will run on both Central and Western Railways. The bidding process for these AC locals was postponed by MRVC in July last year. Railway officials indicated that the minister has now prioritized acquiring more AC locals for the city.

“Specific attention was given to the progress and future trajectories of projects like MUTP 3 and 3A, as well as the acquisition of AC EMU rakes,” said a railway official. Discussions on fare structure were also included, though details were not shared. Under the tender, 2,856 AC cars are to be procured by 2030 as part of the MUTP.

Central Railway officials discussed enhancing capacity through mega coaching terminals planned at Parel, Kalyan, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, and Panvel-Kalamboli, aiming to reduce the burden on the existing terminal at CSMT, which is being upgraded to world-class standards. A senior official from the Railway ministry noted that the meeting commenced with a comprehensive presentation on strategic railway projects, including collaborations with local civic bodies and other stakeholders.

Western Railway provided updates on critical projects such as the fifth and sixth lines on the Mumbai Central-Borivali route. Hindustan Times reported on July 18 about the 15-year-long project progressing at a snail’s pace. Vaishnaw reviewed the status of these rail lines, the Virar-Dahanu quadrupling project, land acquisition issues for the Vasai By-Pass line, and the extension of the Goregaon-Borivali Harbour line.

The minister emphasised structural audits of various infrastructures, stressing disaster management capabilities and preparedness for any eventuality. The meeting also highlighted plans for advanced signalling systems like the auxiliary warning system (AWS), Kavach, and CBTC, focusing on minimal disruption to Mumbai’s suburban operations. Senior officials confirmed that the minister urged authorities to improve rail capacity by reducing the headway from the existing 180 seconds and ensuring the reliability of the systems.

Back-to-back derailments

During the meeting, a goods train derailed at Valsad in Gujarat. This followed the derailment of the Dibrugarh Express in Gonda on Thursday, which resulted in at least three fatalities. At around 3:05 pm, a coach of a goods train derailed near Dungri station between Valsad and Surat. The train was travelling from Chinchwad to Palana when one trolley derailed inside the yard.

Sources indicated that this incident occurred on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad trunk route, leaving only one operational line until around 5:35 pm when the coach was re-railed. Long-distance trains were delayed on the Valsad-Surat section, though the Western Railway spokesperson stated it had no major impact on operations. There were no injuries reported, but traffic on the route was affected. Vaishnaw did not comment on the derailments or the detailed meeting.