Commuters seek goods train line

Commuters using the Trans-Harbour have written to Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu to allow the goods line between Kalyan and Vashi to run four services per day to de-congest Thane.

Commuter Vijay Gokhale, who is a resident of Thane and works in the financial market, wrote to Mr Prabhu asking him to consider allowing the use of the railway line between Kalyan and Vashi as a means of alternative commute.

“Lakhs of people come down from stations like Karjat, Kalyan etc. to Thane to catch the train to Vashi or Panvel. This causes massive overcrowding and people have a choice of either catching the same and falling off the train or getting late to work,” said Mr Gokhale.

The railway has been trying out new ways to reduce the crowds in trains and prevent the number of deaths from falling off them. “The goods line branches out once you come out from the Parsik Tunnel and passes Kalyan finally meeting the Vashi line that leads to Nhava Sheva. The goods train usually runs late during the night on this line so why not run a few services during the day time ” he asked.

The railway officials have said that the line runs only in the direction from Kalyan to Panvel side and that it is highly improbable to run a local train that too from the Kalyan end to Vashi. “The specifications to run a goods trains and a local train are very different, but yes the suggestion is not a bad one. In fact, this might actually happen when the Direct Freight Corridor (DFC) will come that will run up to Panvel. This will take a good one or two years since the DFC still has a long way to go,” said an official, on the condition of anonymity.

Mr Gokhale is also a member of the Thane Pravasi Sangh in that area and had sent the letter to Mr Prabhu on the first day of the year.