Relief for Mumbai rail commuters as new section opens on WR

Mumbai: The dedicated sixth railway line for long-distance trains between Goregaon and Kandivali stations on the Western Railway (WR) was opened on Tuesday, after 41 days of disruptions when work was underway. The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) has given his approval for the new railway track between these two stations, with 14 long-distance trains travelling on this stretch on Tuesday.

The new, 4.54-km sixth line and existing fifth line between Goregaon and Kandivali stations are an extension of the corridor from Bandra, which is already dedicated for long-distance trains. With the sixth line between Goregaon and Kandivali now open, there will be no overlap of suburban and long-distance trains between Bandra Terminus and Kandivali.

This will bring immense relief to Mumbai’s beleaguered railway commuters as it will reduce delays and halts along the tracks and facilitate a quicker commute.

While giving his nod to the sixth line, the CRS said in his ‘authorisation letter’ to the Western Railway that in order to run trains at 95 kmph on the Goregaon-Kandivali stretch, the latter would need to observe a 20-point stipulation.

In his letter, he said the WR would need to erect fencing or a boundary wall at a few locations, and action would have to be taken against encroachments close to the tracks. This would also prevent trespassing on the tracks, a safety hazard.

The commissioner also observed that there was a considerable amount of work pending at Malad station. This includes incomplete tactile flooring, installation of 14 water taps, levelling of platforms, among other things.

“We have already begun work on improving Malad station. In the next three months, a temporary platform will also be created on the west side to cater to commuters alighting or boarding on platform 1. Other issues raised by the CRS are being addressed,” said a WR official.

The CRS’s letter also highlighted the serious issue of 200-odd signaling and telecom cables buried under cement concrete at Goregaon station, making them permanently inaccessible for maintenance. The letter goes on to state, “One of the location box for signals was badly rusted and corroded.”

The letter also pointed to the shoddy state of cables at some stations along the stretch. Scattered pieces of rail, sleepers and OHE masts lying near rail tracks were also mentioned in the letter. The WR authorities admitted that there are quite a few deficiencies with the signalling system, saying that they will attend to these as soon as possible.

Sources said the sixth line will be extended from Kandivali to Borivali during the next phase, which would be completed by March 2025. “Around 15% of the work on this stretch is already complete. We have acquired 424 sq mt of land after removing encroachers and shifting PAPs,” said a WR official.