Harbour commuters can look forward to 200 services of 12-coach trains by May first week.
Harbour commuters can look forward to 200 services of 12-coach trains by May first week. This will not only increase the capacity per train by 40 per cent but will also fulfill passengers’ long-standing demand for conversion to 12 coaches.
Apart from converting harbour from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) by March 31, CR will also introduce the first phase of 20 rakes/trains with 12 coaches by May first week.
The remaining 16 rakes will be made 12-coach by June 15.
Harbour remains the only section of railways in the country running on 1,500 Volt DC and has to be converted to 25,000 Volt AC. An official on condition of anonymity said, “Initially, we had planned to convert to AC and 12 coaches at the same time but then realised there would not be enough coaches for that. So, the plan is to go ahead with the electrical conversion first and phase-wise get three additional coaches as per availability.”
While Harbour commuters are extremely pleased with the news, most of them seem to have taken it with a pinch of salt. Deepti Khera (28), a freelance writer who resides in Kharghar, said, “I am sorry but I just don’t believe when the railways says that they will run 12 coaches. If they actually do, nothing like it but I have been hearing this since my school days so this promise is a decade overdue.”
The electrical conversion entails the 72-hour block on February 12, 13 and 14 on Harbour line between CST and Vadala.
