Andheri’s Harbour line station has finally been extended to accommodate 12-coach trains, the services of which will start between CST and Andheri on Monday.
Andheri’s Harbour line station has finally been extended to accommodate 12-coach trains, the services of which will start between CST and Andheri on Monday.
The Western Railway (WR), which was working to extend platform no. 6 and 7 were finding it hard to do so owing to availability of time, but finally finished the latter platform on Friday morning.
Until now, commuters on Harbour’s section between CST-Vashi/Panvel were enjoying the increase of coaches from nine to 12 but the completion of this work will finally allow the Central Railway (CR) to run the three extra coaches on this line. “We had finished the work on Mahim, Santa Cruz and Vile Parle but Andheri’s platform no. 6 was extended on Wednesday while no. 7 was done this morning. This will mean that commuters will be benefited with the two general coaches and one ladies coach between CST-Andheri making the travel a little more comfortable,” said a senior WR official.
Mahim and Andheri had become the biggest obstacle for starting 12-coach services in the section owing to the complexity of shifting signals further down to accommodate extra coaches. “Currently, the CR needs 10 additional 12-coach trains to be transferred from the western line and the augmentation will be done,” said another official. Officials said the entire Harbour line would accommodate 12-coach trains by the end of July, with 30 per cent increased capacity.
