Suburban trains for Bhiwandi, local trains till Ballard Pier

After both the phases are complete by 2013, peak crowding is expected to come down from the current 550 passengers per coach to 335. Rajendra Aklekar reports.

Suburban trains for Bhiwandi, local trains till Ballard Pier, 18-coach trains with closed doors and a Bandra-Kurla local train corridor. No, it’s not a wishlist, it’s part of the concept note of the third phase of Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), which was finalised by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) on Tuesday.

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The note outlined the development plan for Mumbai suburban railway network, which is to be implemented between 2012 and 2018.

As per the document, a copy of which is with Hindustan Times, traffic on the suburban railway system was expected to reduce due to other transport initiatives. However, the present trend shows that passengers are increasing at the rate of over four per cent a year and that the situation is likely to worsen if action is not taken to enhance capacity. As of now, 6.5 million people use local trains daily.

“It is high time we begin planning, only then will we be able to finalise things by 2012,” P.C. Sehgal, managing director of MRVC told HT.

After both the phases are complete by 2013, peak crowding is expected to come down from the current 550 passengers per coach to 335.

The plan, based on suggestions by the Railways, state government bodies and commuter feedback, has been reviewed by Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and will now be shown to the railway board chairman.