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Mumbai Suburban RailwayFrom Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Bombay Suburban Railway

         

Background

Locale Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra, India 

Transit type Suburban Rail

Number of lines 6

Number of stationsWestern: 36

Central: 62

Harbour : 38

Daily ridership 7.585 million[1] 

Annual ridership 2.64 billion

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HeadquartersChurchgate (WR)

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CR)

WebsiteWestern Railway 

Central Railway 

Operation

Began operation 16 April 1853

Operator(s) Central Railways 

Western Railways (Western Line only)

Train length 9/12/15 coaches

Technical

System length 427.5 kilometres (265.6 mi)

Track gauge 1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) Broad Gauge 

Electrification 1500V DC/25,000V AC Overhead catenary 

Average speed 50 km/h (31 mph)

Top speed 100 km/h (62 mph)

The Bombay Suburban Railway (Marathi: म    ुबई  उपनगरीय  रलेव)े consists of  rapid transit on exclusive inner 

suburban railway lines augmented by commuter railon main lines serving outlying suburbs to serve

the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Spread over 465 km, the suburban railway operates 2342 train services

and carries more than 7.24 million commuters daily. By annual ridership (2.64 bil lion), the Mumbai

Suburban Railway would be the second busiest rapid transit system in the world.[citation needed ] It has some of 

the most severe overcrowding in the world.[2] Trains run from 4 AM until 1 AM.

Contents

[hide] 

  1 History 

  2 Network 

o  2.1 Western Line 

o  2.2 Central Line 

o  2.3 Harbour Line 

o  2.4 Trans-Harbour Line 

  3 Services 

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  4 On-board accommodation 

  5 Ticketing 

  6 Rolling stock 

o  6.1 Air Conditioned Rakes 

  7 Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) 

  8 Electrification 

  9 Safety Issues 

o  9.1 Overcrowding 

o  9.2 Tourists 

o  9.3 Fatalities 

  10 Terrorist attacks 

  11 Future Expansion 

  12 In popular culture 

o  12.1 Film 

  13 Gallery 

  14 See also 

  15 References 

  16 External links 

History[edit] 

The Mumbai Suburban Railway is an offshoot of the first railway to be built by the British in India, and is

also the oldest railway system in Asia. The first train ran between  Bori Bunder  (now Chhatrapati Shivaji

Terminus) and Thane, a distance of 34 km, on 16 April 1853 at 3:35 pm. The 14-coach train took 57

minutes to complete the 32 km journey, with a halt at Sion for taking in water .[3] Since 1991, it has faced

rapid expansion. The Bombay Railway History Group[4] has been striving to document railway heritage

along this line.

Network[edit] 

Main article: List of Mumbai Suburban Railway stations 

The Mumbai Suburban Railway system is operated by Indian Railways' two zonal divisions Western

Railways (WR) and Central Railways (CR). The fast commuter rail corridors on Central Railway as well as

Western Railway are shared with long distance and freight trains, while inner suburban services operate on

exclusive parallel rapid transit tracks. WR operates the Western Line and CR operates the Central Line,

Harbour Line, Trans-Harbour Line as well as the Vasai Road-Diva-Panvel line.

Western Line[edit] 

Main article: Western Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway) 

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The Western Line follows the Western Railway northwards from Churchgate parallel to the west coast.

Local services by electric multiple units (EMUs) ply between Churchgate and Dahanu Road (120km) on

exclusive parallel tracks up to Dahanu Road (120 km) while Mainline Electrical Multiple Units (MEMUs)

service the section beyond Virar to Dahanu Road (60 km). On 16 April 2013 EMU has extended up to

Dahanu Road. MEMUs also operate between Dahanu Road and Panvel via a branch line from Vasai Road. 

There are EMU carsheds at Mumbai Central and Kandivali. An EMU car shed is under construction

between Nala Sopara and Virar which will be the largest car shed in Asia. A repair shop for EMUs is

situated at Mahalaxmi. 

Western Railway's EMU fleet consists of EMUs completely powered by alternating current (25 kV) power.

EMUs are 9 car, 12 car or 15 car formations and are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains halt

at all stations, while fast ones halt at important stations only and are preferable over longer distances.

Central Line[edit] Main article: Central Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway) 

The Central Line in Mumbai consists of 3 major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into suburban

satellite towns. Two corridors (one local and other through) follow the Central Railway run from  Chhatrapati

Shivaji Terminus (CST) to Kalyan (54 km), from where it bifurcates into two lines – one to Kasara (67 km)

in the north-east and the other to Khopoli (61 km) in the south-east. These two corridors constitute the

'main' Central Line. There is also a 18-km corridor between Kurla and Thane stations for use of outstation

and cargo trains. The corridor is being extended further from Thane to Kalyan now as a part of the main

line. The Central Line has two interchange stations with the Western Line at  Parel and Dadar . Rolling stock

consists of a fleet of DC as well as dual-powered EMUs. The major car sheds on this line are

at Kurla and Kalwa. There are fast and slow locals here for suburban service. Slow locals halt at every

station, while fast locals halts vary between Byculla, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund,

Thane, Dombivali and Kalyan. All services plying beyond Kalyan run as slow service (halting at every

station).

The Central Line also includes a line connecting Vasai Road, Diva and Panvel. A line from Nerul/CBD

Belapur  to Uran is currently under construction and is expected to be operational in 2015.

Harbour Line[edit] 

Main article: Harbour Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway) 

The Harbour Line is part of the Central Railway, and runs from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST)

to  Andheri, Thane and Panvel. All Harbour Line services operate as slow services. The line operates from

two separate platforms at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), and the tracks cross over the main line at

Sandhurst Road, to head towards stations along Mumbai's eastern dock area. A branch line from  Wadala

Road  joins the Western Line at Mahim and continues towards Andheri. The Harbour Line has an

interchange station with the main line at Kurla, where it turns east towards Navi Mumbai. The Harbour Line

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further bifurcates at Vashi into two lines – one rejoins the main lines at Thane, while the other continues to

Panvel. The shed for these trains is in Sanpada. A large section of the Harbour Line is  elevated. 

Trans-Harbour Line[edit] 

Main article: Trans-Harbour Line (Mumbai Suburban Railway) 

The Trans-Harbour Line connects Navi Mumbai to Thane. It runs from Thane to Vashi and Nerul.

 According to V Malgaonkar, Chief PRO of the Central Railway, "The objective of the Trans-Harbour Line

project was to reduce the load at Kurla. The line caters to the chemical industrial belt in Navi Mumbai that

goes up to Thane." Services from Panvel and Nerul have also reduced the load on Vashi. The line was

started in 1993 to run goods trains between Turbhe and Kalwa. It was upgraded in 2004 to transport

commuters to Thane. Services from Panvel to Thane and Nerul to Thane were started in 2010. There are

currently 208 services operating on the line.[5] 

Services[edit] 

Mumbai Suburban Railway services have various such designations in wide use by Mumbaikars as well as

official use:

  local train or simply local stops at every station

  fast local runs express (skipping stops) until a certain station, and from that station onward runs like a

local

  fast , superfast , double-fast ; also bada-fast (Hindi bada= big) run express for various lengths of route

There are also women-only cars (termed ladies),[6] and since 1992, Ladies Special trains with the entire

reserved for women passengers. A semi ladies special is a train with a few (e.g., 3) coaches reserved for 

women. These designations can be combined withfast', slow, etc., so you have terms such as Slow Ladies

Special. 

On-board accommodation[edit] 

The interior of new rakes

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Brand new rakes will replace the ageing fleet of suburban trains

The suburban fleet consists of 9, 12 and 15-coach rakes. There are two classes of travel, including first

class. The first class fare is approximately 10 times more expensive than second class, and therefore tends

to be less crowded. First class compartments also have slightly better seats than second class.

Because women can travel separately, there are four types of accommodation, termed 'compartments':

  general compartment also called gent's second class or simply second class as the majority of 

passengers in these compartments are men. The compartment is open to women and children as well.

  general first class Again commonly known as gent's first class or simply first class, since majority

population is men. Women and children can also board this compartment. The coach is designated by

red and yellow slant stripes. The location of the same is designated by coloring the platform walls with

similar stripes.

  ladies' compartment commonly known as ladies' second class. This compartment is reserved solely for 

females, however male children up to the age of 13 can travel in this compartment. Men are not

allowed to travel, and may face a penalty. Some of the coaches of ladies compartments are open to

general public between 11:15pm – 6:30am. These are indicated by a note near the doors of the

compartments. The coach is designated by green and yellow slant stripes. The location of the same is

designated by coloring the platform walls with similar stripes.

  ladies first class is reserved solely for females, however male children up to the age of 13 can travel in

this compartment. Men are not allowed to travel, and may face a penalty. Some of the coaches of 

ladies compartments are open to general public between 11:15pm – 6:30am. These are indicated by a

note near the doors of the compartments. The coach is designated by red and yellow slant stripes. The

location of the same is designated by coloring the platform walls with similar stripes. This compartment

is often adjacent to the ladies compartment.

  handicap and cancer patients' compartment for  people with disabilities or  cancer . On a platform, one

can locate these by signs or by following a 'Beep-Beep-Beep' sound indicator for the  visually impaired. 

These coaches are open to all the genders. One needs a valid certificate of disability to board the

compartment. Failure to do so may result in a penalty.

  senior citizens special coach is reserved for passengers above the age of 60. These coaches are open

to all the genders.

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  luggage compartment - heavy goods and luggage can be transported using the compartments

specially designed and reserved for this purpose. The luggage compartment at the south-end of 

Western Line services is reserved for  dabbawalas between 10 am and noon on all Virar-Churchgate

services and between 2 pm – 4:30 pm on all Churchgate-Virar services. On the Central Line, the

compartment is reserved for dabbawalas 10 am – 12.30 pm on all Kalyan-CST services and from

2 pm – 4.30 pm on all CST-Kalyan services.[7] 

Stations usually lack clear signage indicating the positions of compartments. However, seasoned

commuters usually know them by heart.

Ticketing[edit] 

 Automatic Ticket Vending Machine

Tickets for the suburban trains can be purchased at every train station. Travelling without a valid ticket is an

offence and if caught can result into penalty. The penalty is steeper for passengers travelling in first

class without a valid ticket.

Tickets can be bought for single journey (one way) or a return journey. A return ticket is valid ti ll the next

day on weekdays and till Monday if purchased on a Friday. The ticket counters usually have long queues.

Tourists can avail the option of 'Tourist ticket'. Under the tourist ticket scheme, passengers can travel

unlimited times during its validity between any stations on all lines Mumbai Suburban Railway. Tickets are

available for first and second class. Effective 1 August 2012, the fares for first class tickets are

210 (US$3.20) (1-day), 365 (US$5.60) (3 days) and 430 (US$6.60) (5 days). These tickets are issued

maximum 3 days in advance, excluding the first day of validity. No refund is admissible on unused/partially

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used tourist tickets. But tourist tickets booked in advance can be cancelled before the day of validity on

which charges of Rs 10 for second class and Rs 20 for first class per passenger will be deducted.

CVMs and ATVMs

To save time, a Coupon Booklet can be purchased and the coupons can be punched for the designated

fare at the Coupon Validating Machines(CVMs) at every station. The ticket fares matrix is pasted above

the CVM. As of October 2012, there are approximately 575 CVMs on Mumbai Suburban Railway stations.

The Central Railway network has 350 and the Western Line has 225 .[8] 

There are also Smart Cards available that can be topped up (recharged with some amount) and one can

use it to print tickets for themselves from an Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVMs). A Season

Ticket can be purchased if one is commuting regularly. One can choose the validity of these tickets from 1-

month, 3 months to a year. Season Tickets are the most cost effective and time efficient option for regular 

commuters.

Rolling stock[edit] 

Old EMU Rake

New white and purple coloured rakes on the Western Line

The suburban services are run by electric multiple units (EMUs) in 191 rakes (train sets) of 9-car, 12-car 

and 15-car composition. To alleviate the problems of overcrowding, the 9 coach trains are being phased

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out and replaced with 12-coach trains. 15-coach trains were introduced on 21 November 2009. However,

these are few in number.

The bulk of the current fleet of both the Western and Central railways features old rakes built by Jessop

(Kolkata) and ICF (Perambur) which are capable of a maximum speed of 85 km/h in regular service. Therecently introduced AC/DC rakes (with modern motors in the existing carriage designs) are capable of 

100 km/h under light traffic conditions. The actual average speed of the rakes on the slow lines is about

35 km/h, while rakes on fast lines average about 45 –50 km/h on a typical run.

On 12 November 2007, the first of 129 new 12-coach rakes with upgraded facilities was inducted into the

fleet of the Western Railways under the MUTP project. The coaches are built of  stainless steel, and have

non-cushioned seats, emergency fluorescent lights, bigger windows with polycarbonate panes, better 

suspension systems, roof mounted forced ventilation to reduce carbon dioxide levels in packed

trains,[9]

 and GPSbased passenger information systems in all coaches. The new rakes are much more cooland airy than the old EMUs. The motors of the new rakes also make less noise than the older ones. Since

2010 the front of the EMUs are painted yellow, so that the maintenance workers on the tracks can see the

train easily. These rakes have been procured under the project at a total cost of  Rs 19 billion (Rs 19 billion) 

(USD 431.0 million).

 As on Sep 2010, 102 out of 129 new trains have been delivered to Mumbai Suburban Railway.[10] Total cost

of this project is 53 billion (US$810 million)[11] 

On 25 July 2012, Central Railway announced it was introducing trains with cushion seats in second class

compartments. Cushion seats have been fixed on all the white and purple coloured EMU rakes by an in-

house team of Matunga workshop. The difference between first and second class seats is that they have

four-inch density and two-inch density respectively.[12] 

The cushion has been made of rubberised coir material which is fire retardant. The seat cover is made of 

artificial leather similar to ones used in the first class compartment. Coir is tough, durable and can spring

back to shape even after constant use. Coir is cheaper compared to rubber foam or polyurethane material,

which is being used for making cushion seats in first class compartments.

 A nine-car train has a seating capacity of 876 and 1,752 standees – a total of 2,628. A 12-car train can seat

1,168 and accommodate 2,336 standees that is a total of 3,504 passengers and a 33% rise in carrying

capacity compared to a nine-car train.[13] 

Air Conditioned Rakes[edit] 

In the 2012 Rail Budget, railway minister  Dinesh Trivedi announced a token contribution of 100,000 .[14] 

The Research Design and Standards Organization (RDSO) in Lucknow is currently working on the design

for AC trains for Mumbai. On 23 January 2012, the Railway Board approved an air conditioned rake for the

Western Line because it is a comparatively straight line and is completely powered by  alternating current. 

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The air conditioned rake will have longitudinal seating and a design similar to the ones operating on

Kolkata and Delhi metros.[15] 

Currently there are no AC rakes in the Mumbai Suburban Railway. However, all coaches are fitted with

fans.

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)[edit] 

Main article: Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation 

To enable the Mumbai Suburban Railway to meet the demands of the ever-growing passenger traffic, the

federal Government of India'sMinistry of Railways and the state Government of Maharashtra have jointly

envisioned the constitution of a separate corporate entity to operate the system.

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC), a public sector unit of the Government of India under 

the Ministry of Railways, was incorporated under the (Indian) Companies Act, 1956 on 12 July 1999, with

an equity capital of 250 million (US$3.8 million) to implement the rail component of an integrated rail-cum-

road urban transport project, called Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). The cost of the rail

component of the project is to be shared equally by Ministry of Railways and Government of Maharashtra.

Electrification[edit] 

 All routes are electrified partly on 1500 V DC and partly 25000 V AC power supply from  overhead lines. 

The Indian Railways plans to build a 700 MW gas-based plant in Thakurli. Once functional, the plant will

provide all the necessary power to run suburban trains on the Mumbai Suburban Railway, and the

additional power in the grid can be given to other sources. The Thakurli power plant will be set up with the

help of  National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). It will lie on an 85acre plot next to Thakurli railway

station.[16] 

Indian Railways already runs two power plants, one at  Nabinagar  (1000MW) in Bihar  and second

at  Adra (1,320MW) in West Bengal. 

Safety Issues[edit] 

Overcrowding[edit] 

Due to its extensive reach across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and its intensive use by the local urban

population, the Mumbai Suburban Railway suffers from some of the most severe overcrowding in the

world.[2] Over 4,500 passengers are packed into a 9-car rake during peak hours, as against the rated

carrying capacity of 1,700.[2] This has resulted in what is known as Super-Dense Crush Load of 14 to 16

standing passengers per square metre of floor space. Trains on the suburban line are on average more

than 4 minutes apart, contributing to the problem of overcrowding. The impending introduction of new

higher speed rakes may help address the issue.

Tourists[edit] 

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The local Lonely Planet guide advises tourists not to travel between 6am and 9am on weekdays due to the

excessive crowding.[6] 

Fatalities[edit] 

On an average, about 3,600 people die annually on the Mumbai Suburban Rail network: over the past 10

years (2002 –2012), more than 36,152 lives have been lost on tracks and 36,688 people have been

injured.[17]  A record 17 people died every weekday on the city's suburban railway network in 2008.[18] One of 

the reason for accidents and deaths is overcrowding (see above). Another cause of death is passengers

crossing the tracks on foot to avoid footbridges. Some passengers die when they sit on train roofs to avoid

the crowds and are electrocuted by the overhead electric wires, or fall while hanging from doors and

window bars. However, the fatality rates have declined recently. To reduce the risk of such fatalities,

automatic doors will be installed on all rakes by 2016 along with longer platforms and more frequent trains.

Central Railways in association with a behaviour architecture firm deployed  neuroscience based

interventions at the Wadala station, reducing fatalities by about 75%.[19] Times of India carried a news item

regarding the success of this experiment[20] 

Western Railway has pledged that its trains will stop running if "even a single person" is seen travelling on

the roof .[21] 

In mid-2011 a viral video depicted a youth performing stunts while dangling from the compartment of 

a Harbour Line train.[22] Following this, a boy was killed while imitating the actions performed in the

video.[citation needed ] 

The Western and Central Railways have been using the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS), a type of  Train

Protection & Warning System (TPWS), since 1996.[23] 

Terrorist attacks[edit] 

The Mumbai Suburban Railway has suffered 8 blasts and around 368 people are believed to have died as

a result.

  12 March 1993 – bomb blast at Reay Road station

  13 March 2003 – A bombing in a train in Mulund killed 20

  11 July 2006 – A series of seven bombs in trains killed 209

  26 November 2008 – Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was attacked during the 2008 Mumbai

 Attacks killing at least 60 people

Future Expansion[edit] 

Due to the geographical spread of the population and location of business areas, the rail network is the

principal mode of mass transport in Mumbai. As Mumbai's population has swelled, frequent overcrowding

has become a serious issue. A metro system and amonorail system are under construction in Mumbai toease the travelling conditions on the suburban railway, in addition to plans to expand the railway itself.

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Navi Mumbai is expected to get approximately 180 km of railway tracks in the near future.[24] Surveys by

the MMRDA showed that passenger density in the satellite city was growing at a faster rate than both

Western Railway and Central Railway’s main line. Navi Mumbai is expected to have a population of 

4.8 million by 2021 and about 80% of the population will travel by train. The  State Government, Mumbai

Railway Vikas Corporation and World Bank officials estimate that railway projects in Navi Mumbai and

neighbouring areas of  Raigad district will cost around 14,000-crore.

Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II plans to extend the

Harbour Line up to Goregaon. The work is expected to be completed by March 2014.[25] Under the Mumbai

Urban Transport Project-III, the Harbour Line wil l be further extended up to Borivali.[26] 

In popular culture[edit] 

Film[edit] 

The Mumbai Suburban Railway has regularly been used for film shoots. Film writer Sanjay Chauhan says,

"A train is not only the lifeline of Mumbai, but love, heartbreak, separation and loneliness have been

symbolized through trains since pre-independence days. A story based in Mumbai is incomplete without a

train sequence, as in Baton Baton Mein and Saathiya."

In 2010, Western Railway earned 8.35 lakh from film and television shoots. That figure went up to 1.42

crore in 2012-13. WR charges 1.10 lakh for a day's shoot without any rolling stock, while one with special

rolling stock is about 4.12 lakh. According to film location director, Arun Mathias, "A security deposit of 5

lakh has to be paid, besides an insurance of 48,000 taken for a week's shoot. An engine with coaches onthe platform and a moving train may go up to 4.25 lakh (for 8 hours). But just a platform shoot or a

sequence in a railway yard can be done for 2 lakh."[27] 

Some movies that have used the Mumbai Suburban Railway for filming are:  Agneepath, Dabangg , Gangs

of Wasseypur , Life In a Metro,Ghanchakkar , Kai Po Che, Once Upon a Time in Mumbai 

 Again, Rajjo, Ra.One and Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani . 

[1] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaSqFuqpP2E http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHvFdGpwZtQhttp

://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJ57_m9M93U http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zWncFd8T2TMhttp://www

.youtube.com/watch?v=5YJmQ0Dqwts http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Baf2yUtoT6I http://www.youtube.

com/watch?v=ccxGSD_YoJA http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvD6cG6EIY8 http://www.youtube.com/wa

tch?v=d388cWcNIHchttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4UFf-AwiUuA