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30 September 2016
Mulling
major makeover for the much-stressed Mumbai suburban train system, the Central
Railway is studying an ambitious Rs 20,000-crore plan to improve services. This
includes acquisition of 150 new rakes, introduction of additional routes and
provision of adequate parking lines. The Total
Investment & Insurance Solutions
Central
Railway General Manager Akhil Agrawal told media at the Mumbai Press Club on
Thursday that the Central Railway has already taken various steps like
increasing frequency of trains and introducing 12-coach rakes. This has
resulted in fall in deaths on tracks due to various reasons over the past eight
months to 1,414 from 2,187 during the previous year.
Agrawal
said he was studying the report of a committee on improving suburban services
in the metropolis and will soon take an appropriate decision. The Total Investment & Insurance Solutions
The
committee, formed at the instance of Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu who was
shocked after a video clip of an accidental death near Thane went viral, notes
that 10 people die daily on CR tracks and the basic reason for this is the huge
demand-supply gap.
The
committee has warned that the situation with the existing stock can be
"explosive" by 2030 as the number of casualties will multiply
manifold due to open doors of tghe coaches. It has underlined the need for CR
trains to have air-conditioning and door closers.
The
interaction was part of Mumbai Press Club Knowledge Series programme, powered
by Public Relations Council of India (PRCI). The Total Investment & Insurance Solutions
Quoting
from the report, PRCI National President B.N. Kumar said CR works at 400+ per
cent capacity on normal days and at times even exceeds 800+ per cent capacity.
The committee called for additional exclusive platforms to handle suburban
trains, new trains to bridge the gap, and stabling lines to help double the
services.
The
panel envisages that half of the projected investment is to go for acquiring
new rakes, while the stabling lines or parking places for trains to reduce
piling up of rakes -- akin to bumper-to-bumper road traffic -- will be
developed on self-financing basis.
Responding
to questions on parking or stabling lines, Agrawal said there was a space
constraint in Mumbai city area. Hence the Railway is looking at areas like
Thane, Kalyan and even beyond. "We are making provision for new rakes as
we acquire them," he said.
Agrawal
said punctuality on the suburban network rose by two per cent due to the
improvement in the working of the system. "We are continuously monitoring
and taking steps to plug loopholes," he said.The Total Investment & Insurance Solutions
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