Daily commutes on the Central Railway (CR) suburban network will become easier by the middle of next year, as 15 new coach trains are being introduced and 34 station platforms are being extended.
At present, only two 15-coach rakes are available on the CR. These two rakes run 22 services each day. All other services still rely on 12-coach rakes. Only 10 stations on the fast corridor between CSMT and Kalyan have long platforms that can handle 15-coach trains.
Tenders have now been issued to increase the capacity of 20 existing 12-coach rakes by adding three more coaches. Each 15-coach rake can hold about 1,200 more passengers than a 12-coach rake. Officials said the plan was pending for a long time but moved faster after the accident in Mumbra, in which five people died on June 9.
Once the tender process is complete, the conversion of all 20 trains is expected to begin within a year. CR expects to carry an additional 300,000 commuters every day after rakes are upgraded. For this, engineers will need to rearrange coaches, extend brake pipes, adjust electrical systems, and overhaul the train circuitry for the longer trains.
Platform extension work is also in progress at 34 stations across the network. This includes all stations on the Kalyan-Kasara and Kalyan-Khopoli routes. It also includes all stations on the slow corridor between Thane and Kalyan and every station on the fast corridor between CSMT and Kalyan.
Seven stations are expected to be ready for 15-coach operations by March 2026. These stations are CSMT, Thane, Diva, Dombivli, Kalyan, Vangani, and Khadavli. Work at the remaining 27 stations is moving at a slower pace and is planned to finish by the middle of next year.
In another news, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced that Mumbai’s suburban network will soon receive fully air-conditioned (AC) local trains with automatic doors.
The plan includes 268 new AC locals. These trains will replace older rakes that do not have doors. He said these trains will have modern features similar to metro trains. He also said that second-class fares will not be increased.
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