Mumbai Suburban Railway

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Mumbai Suburban Railway
Overview
Locale	Mumbai, India
Daily ridership	6.1 million daily
Operation
Began operation	1857
Operator(s)	Western Railways and Central Railways
Technical
System length	303 km
Track gauge	1676 mm (5 ft 6 in) (broad gauge)

Suburban rail network.

The Mumbai Suburban Railway (Marathi: मुंबई उपनगरीय रेल्वे) system, part of the public transportation system of Mumbai, is provided for by the state-run Indian Railways' two zonal Western Railways and Central Railways. The system carries more than 6.1 million commuters on a daily basis and constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. It has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in the world. The trains plying on its routes are commonly referred to as local trains or simply as locals by the general populace.

The Mumbai Suburban Railway, as well as Indian Railways, are an offshoot of the first railway to be built by the British in India in April 1853. This was also the oldest railway system in Asia. The first train ran between Mumbai and Thane, a distance of 34 km. The Bombay Railway History Group has been striving to document railway heritage along this line.

Given the geographical spread of the population and location of business areas, the rail network is the principal mode of mass transport in Mumbai.

The system

The Suburban Railway system in Mumbai is one of the most complex and intensively utilised public transportation systems in the world. Spread over 303 route kilometres, it operates on 1500 V DC power supply from overhead catenary lines. The suburban services are run by electric multiple units (EMUs). 184 rakes (train sets) of 9-car and 12-car composition are utilised to run 2067 train services, which carry 6.1 million passengers every day.

Zones and corridors

Inside Mumbai CST station

Two zonal Railways, the Western Railway (WR) and the Central Railway (CR), operate the Mumbai Suburban Railway system. At present, the fast corridors on Central Railway as well as Western Railway are shared for long distance (main line) and freight trains.

Western line

Two corridors (one local and the other through) on Western Railway run northwards from Churchgate terminus parallel to the west coast up to Dahanu Road (120 km). These corridors are popularly referred to as 'Western Line' by the locals mainly because it is operated and owned by the Western Railways. Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) ply between Churchgate and Virar and beyond Virar till Dahanu, Mainline Electrical Multiple Units and engine hauled shuttles are plied. There are EMU carsheds at Mumbai Central and Kandivili. The EMU Repair shop is at Mahalaxmi. The distance between Churchgate to Virar and Virar to Dahanu is almost the same, but the former has 28 stations, but the latter has just 6 stations owing to the fact that it plies outside the city limits. The prime stations on this route are Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, Borivali, Mira Road, Bhayander, Vasai, and Virar. Western railway's EMU fleet consists of EMUs running on Direct Current (1.5 KV DC) power as well as those running as bi-current i.e. Alternating Current (25 KV) as well as Direct Current (1.5 KV) power. EMUs are 9 car or 12 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. Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations. Abbreviations used for these train sources/destinations are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Abbreviation	Station name
A	Andheri
B	Bandra
BC(T)	Mumbai Central
BO	Borivali
BY(R)	Bhayander
BS(R)	Vasai Road
C	Churchgate
D	Dadar
G	Goregaon
M	Malad
V	Virar

Central line

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) on Central Railway run from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) to Kalyan (54 km), from where it bifurcates into Kalyan–Kasara (67 km) in the north-east and Kalyan–Karjat–Khopoli (61 km) in south-east. These two corridors constitue the 'Main' Line. They consist of a fleet of DC as well as AC/DC 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 slow and thus halt at all stations. Central Railway also operates diesel multiple units (DMUs) on the routes connecting Diva Junction on Central Railway and Vasai Road on Western Railway and Diva Junction to Roha via Panvel.

Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations. Abbreviations used for these train sources/destinations are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Abbreviation	Station name
A	Ambernath
AN	Asangaon
BL	Badlapur
C	Kurla
D	Dadar
DI	Dombivali
G	Ghatkopar
K	Kalyan
KP	Khopoli
N	Kasara
PL	Panvel
S	Karjat
ST	Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus
T	Thane
TL	Titwala

* C stands for Kurla. Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) (near Kurla) is a train terminus for some out-station passenger/express trains.

Harbour line

The Harbour line is part of the Central Railway, and runs a train corridor 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 Railway Line at Mahim Junction and continues towards Andheri. The harbour line shares a common station at Kurla with the main line, where it turns east towards Navi Mumbai. The Harbour line further bifurcates at Vashi,Navi Mumbai and follows to Thane and Panvel. A large section of the harbour line (Sandhurst Road to Reay Road, Reay Road to Sewri, Wadala Road to Mahim Junction) is elevated. There are 29 services in each direction every day.

Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations. Abbreviations used for these train sources/destinations are as follows (in alphabetical order):

Abbreviation	Station name
AD	Andheri
B	Bandra
CH	Kurla
CM	Chembur
M	Mankhurd
T	Thane
VA	Vashi
NEU	Nerul
BR	Belapur
PL	Panvel

World record passenger traffic density

The Western Railway line between Churchgate terminus and Dahanu Road carries about 2.6 million passengers per day, almost 43 percent of the total Mumbai suburban rail traffic. The annual passenger traffic density for the Western Line exceeds 145 million passenger-km per km of route per year. In other words, more than 145 million passengers travel, on average, over each km of line per year. The busiest segment, 60 km between Churchgate terminus and Virar, carries almost 900 million passengers per year. The annual traffic density, about 255 million passenger-km per km of route, is believed to be the world record for passenger rail transport.

Overcrowding

Due to its extensive reach across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, and its intensive use by the local urban population, overcrowding has grown to be a compelling problem (4,700 passengers are packed into a 9-car rake during peak hours, as against the rated carrying capacity of 1,700). 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.

Fatalities

Yearly more than 3,500 people die on the Mumbai suburban railway track due to overcrowding during peak hours. This is believed to be the highest number of fatalities per year on any urban or suburban railway system. Many of these deaths are caused when passengers cross the tracks on foot, instead of using the footbridges provided for going from one platform to another, and are hit by passing trains. Some passengers die when they sit on train roofs to avoid the crowds and are electrocuted by the overhead electric wires.

Terrorist attacks

The Mumbai Suburban Railway has suffered 8 blasts including a series of blasts. Around 217 people are believed to be dead as a result.

• 14 March 2003 - Bomb goes off in a train in Mulund killing 10
• 11 July 2006 - Series of seven bombs go off in trains killing 207

List of stations

Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop.

Western line

Within Greater Mumbai: Churchgate, Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Mumbai Central, Mahalaxmi, Lower Parel, Elphinstone Road, Dadar, Matunga Road, Mahim Junction, Bandra, Khar Road, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri, Jogeshwari, Goregaon, Malad, Kandivali, Borivali, Dahisar

Outside Greater Mumbai: Mira Road, Bhayandar, Naigaon, Vasai Road, Nala Sopara, Virar, Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar, Vangaon, Dahanu Road

In tabular format as per order of occurrence

Station Name	Fast Train Halt
Churchgate	Yes (Point of Origin)
Marine Lines	No
Charni Road	No
Grant Road	No
Mumbai Central	Yes
Mahalaxmi	No
Lower Parel	No
Elphinstone Road	No
Dadar	Yes
Matunga Road	No
Mahim Junction	No
Bandra	Yes (Also new point of Origin for long distance trains)
Khar Road	No
Santacruz	No
Vile Parle	No
Andheri	Yes (Some long distance trains halt here)
Jogeshwari	No
Goregaon	No
Malad	No
Kandivali	No
Borivali	Yes
Dahisar	Yes (Last suburban station for Greater Mumbai)
Mira Road	Yes
Bhayandar	Yes
Naigaon	Yes
Vasai Road	Yes
Nala Sopara	Yes
Virar	Yes (Current point of termination for Mumbai suburban EMU rakes, and Point of Origin for Dahanu Road MEMU. POT may move to Dahanu Road.)
Vaitarna	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Saphale	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Kelve Road	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Palghar	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Umroli	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Boisar	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Vangaon	Long Distance Trains/MEMU
Dahanu Road	Long Distance Trains/MEMU

A new station between Goregaon and Jogeshwari, namely Oshiwara, will be functional soon.

Central (Main) line

Within Greater Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (formerly, Victoria Terminus (VT)), Masjid Bunder, Sandhurst Road, Byculla, Chinchpokli, Currey Road, Parel, Dadar, Matunga, Sion, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Bhandup, Nahur, Mulund

Outside Greater Mumbai: Thane, Kalwa, Mumbra, Diwa, Dombivli, Thakurli, Kalyan

Kalyan, Thane, Dadar are important stops for outstation trains.

At Kalyan, the route splits up into two sections.

• Karjat Line
  • Kalyan, Vitthalwadi, Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath, Badlapur, Vangani, Shelu, Neral, Bhivpuri Road, Karjat, Palasdari, Kelavli, Dolavli, Lowjee, Khopoli

• Kasara Line
  • Kalyan, Shahad, Ambivli, Titwala, Khadavli, Vasind, Asangaon, Atgaon, Khardi, Kasara

Harbour line Stations

Within Greater Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (formerly, Victoria Terminus (VT), Masjid, Sandhurst Road, Dockyard Road, Reay Road, Cotton Green, Sewri, Wadala road

1. Towards Andheri: Wadala road, King's Circle, Mahim, Bandra, Khar Road, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri
2. Towards Thane and Panvel: Wadala road, Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Chunabhatti, Kurla,Tilak Nagar, Chembur, Govandi, Mankhurd
   1. Within Navi Mumbai:
      1. Towards Panvel: Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, Nerul, Seawoods, CBD Belapur, Khargar, Mansarovar, Khandeshwar, Panvel
      2. Towards Thane: Vashi, Sanpada, Turbhe, Kopar Khairane, Ghansoli, Airoli, Thane.
      3. Towards Karjat: Panvel, Chikhale, Mohope, Chowk, Karjat

Diwa-Vasai Road corridor

Diwa, Kopar, Bhiwandi, Kharbav, Kaman,[Juchandra] Vasai Road

Rakes

A bulk of the current fleet of both the Western and Central railways features old rakes which are capable of a maximum speed of 85 kmph in regular service. The recently introduced AC/DC rakes (more modern motors in the existing carriage designs) are capable of 100 kmph under low traffic conditions. The actual average speed of the rakes on the slow lines is about 35 kmph, while rakes on fast lines average about 45-50 kmph on a typical run.

On November 12, 2007, 157 new rakes with upgraded facilities were inducted into the fleet of the Western Railways under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project. The coaches are built of stainless steel, and have cushioned seats, emergency fluorescent lights, bigger windows with polycarbonate lookout glass, better suspension systems and a novel roof mounted ventilation system. These rakes have been procured under the project at a total cost of Rs 1,900 crore (Rs 19 billion) (USD 431.0 million).

Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)

To enable the Mumbai Suburban Railway to meet the demands of the ever-growing passenger traffic, The Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra have jointly envisioned the constitution of a separate corporate entity to operate the system.

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC Ltd), a public sector unit of the Government of India under the Ministry of Railways, was incorporated under the (Indian) Companies Act, 1956 on July 12, 1999, with an equity capital of Rs 25 crores 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.

Pictures of local trains

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See also

• List of rapid transit systems
• Salsette-Trombay Railway
• 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings

External links

• Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation
• Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority
• Mumbai Urban Transportation Project
• Mumbai Local Trains Time-Table (All Lines)
• A customized Google Map showing High Resolution Satellite Images of Mumbai's Suburban Western Railway system
• All things Trains
• Commute in Bombay deadly for thousands; officials in India strive to improve rail safety for millions of riders
• Mumbai rail network map
• Interactive Time Table of Mumbai Suburban Central Railway System
• Mumbai Train Google mashup
• Information on Indian and Sub-urban Railways
• BBC Four documentary on Mumbai suburban railways