No new services during peak hours for Central Railway, Western Railway
No new services during peak hours on the Central and the Western Railway were announced in the railway budget that was presented on Thursday. Central Railway (CR) officials have said that it is not logistically possible while Western Railway (WR) said they had proposed new services to Railway minister Suresh Prabhu, but have not received a positive response.
CR additional general manager, R.D. Tripathi told media persons that immediate relief to commuters in the peak hours through increased number of services will not be possible for at least the next 24 months on the mainline.
This too will be only possible if Level Crossing (LC) gates are shut down and replaced with Rail Over Bridges (ROB) to handle the traffic.
“We are expecting major relief in peak hours on the mainline after the construction of the three ROB’s at Thakurli, Kalwa and Chunnabhatti are completed as well as the Parel terminus. This might roughly take us 24 months and only then will peak hours see some additional new services,” Mr Tripathi said.
To add insult to injury, it will be 2020 before the city gets major relief in terms of getting new services — that too if the 5th and 6th line between CST and Kurla, as well as Kurla and Diva are completed within the deadline.
“By the year 2020 we will see completion of the 5th and 6th line between Diva and Kurla and then Kurla and CST. It is only then that we will see major relief,” he said.
Mr Tripathi has promised 11 new services to be operated on March 15 this year on the mainline, but these services will run during non-peak and on non-congested corridors like Thane to Badlapur and Kalyan to Karjat and Kasara.
On the other hand, WR general manager G.C. Agarwal said that they had sent a proposal of new services but they were not allocated in the budget.
“We had sent a proposal but after reading the budget we have not seen any new services being allocated on the suburban system,” Mr Agarwal said.
Mr Prabhu had earlier in the day reiterated his stand on staggering office timings on dense surburban networks.
