40 new services after monsoon on central railway

Commuting on the central railway is likely to get easier and faster, with authorities planning to introduce 40 additional services along the route. Prajakta Chavan reports.

Commuting on the central railway is likely to get easier and faster, with authorities planning to introduce 40 additional services along the route. The administration is also likely to meet its target of completing the conversion from direct current to alternating current along the route by December 2012. The conversion from 1,500 volts DC to 25 kv alternate current will enable trains to run faster, (up to 100 kmph from current 80 kmph), which means there will be more services. It will also help the railways reduce transmission losses, reducing energy consumption by 35%.

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Post monsoons, the railway authorities will introduce 24 additional services on the main line from Thane to suburbs like Kalyan, Karjat and Kasara. There will be six new services on harbour from CST to Panvel and 10 more services on the transharbour line from Thane-Vashi and Thane-Nerul-Panvel.

“The services will be run during both peak and non peak hours,” said Subodh Jain, general manager, CR.

CR has speeded up the retrofitting of trains finish the AC-DC conversion work.

“We are expecting some retrofitted rakes from western railway also,” said an official from central railway, on condition of anonymity.

One hurdle in completing this project by December has been the construction of a substation being carried out by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) at Sion. MRVC had communicated that this would not be readied till March end.