Central Railway (CR) has prepared a proposal to move several long-distance trains from Mumbai’s busiest railway terminals to other stations to add capacity for 40,000 to 50,000 more commuters during peak hours. This will free up track space to run additional local trains on the mainline.
At present, five pairs of long-distance trains either start or end their journeys at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Dadar Terminus, while also operating to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and Panvel. As per officials, shifting these trains could release slots on the CSMT–Kasara and CSMT–Karjat routes, which can be used for more suburban services.
The proposal has been sent to the Railway Board for final approval. Sources said the plan involves either terminating some long-distance trains at Panvel or rerouting them to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus. LTT has five to six available lines on the LTT–Kalyan section. This would prevent these trains from travelling into CSMT.
As per reports, long-distance trains often disrupt local train schedules. Many express trains run late and enter Mumbai during peak hours. This leads to daily delays. The problem worsens during winter months due to heavy fog in North India.
The plan also includes rescheduling six more pairs by ten minutes to as much as seven hours. Several well-known trains have been identified for the shift. These include the Thiruvananthapuram Central Express, Rajyarani Express, Dadar–Tirunelveli Superfast Express, Nagercoil Express, and the Hapa Duronto.
Furthermore, CR has suggested increasing the length of these trains. The current 16 to 20 coaches could be extended to 24 coaches to accommodate more long-distance passengers.
Local trains running from Karjat and Kasara towards Mumbai are among the worst affected. Several long-distance trains regularly arrive late during morning peak hours. Their delays often cause suburban trains to run 20 to 25 minutes behind schedule. However, changing the terminal could also make it inconvenient for long-distance passengers.
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