Mumbai Local Train News: Central Railway Unveils Plan To Decongest Thane-Karjat-Kasara Route; Check Here

Mumbai is known for its local trains being popular with college students, blue-collar workers, entrepreneurs, and thousands of other citizens. Mumbai locals run on three lines - the Western Line, the Harbour Line and the Central Line. They are operated by the Central Railway.

The Western line

Western Line is one of the most important railway lines in India. It connects the bustling city of Mumbai with its suburbs and other cities in Maharashtra. It runs from Churchgate to Dahanu Road and starts at 04:15 AM. It has 39 stations along its route, including some of the city's most iconic landmarks.

Generally fast trains o­n Western Railways halt at these stations; Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri and Borivali in both directions. From 5:24 PM to 8:21 PM in the up direction the fast trains do not halt between Mumbai Central and Churchgate also, while in the down direction, certain fast trains do not halt between Churchgate and Mumbai Central from 07:30 AM to 10:57 AM.

The Harbour Line

Harbour Line runs along the eastern neighbourhoods of Mumbai that lie close to its natural harbour. This is why this branch of the Mumbai Suburban Railway has been named so. There are a total of 35 stations on this line. Its service usually begins at 04:00 AM and continues till 01:00 AM.

There are three termini of the Harbour Line. These include the CSMT, Panvel and Goregaon. Harbour Line Mumbai runs on the Panvel-Goregaon, CSMT-Goregaon, and CSMT-Panvel routes.

The Harbour Line is a double line that runs parallel to the Central Railway for a few stations starting at CSMT. From Wadala Road Station, the harbour line caters to two corridors. Ravli is the exact point where the line splits. The first line ends at the Goregaon Station and meets the Western Line at Mahim. The second line splits into two as it reaches Navi Mumbai. One of these lines goes to Thane and the other to Panvel.

The Central Line

As the name suggests, the Mumbai Central Line runs down the centre of the city and its suburbs. The main route on this line is a Y-shaped line starting from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and bifurcating at Kalyan to terminate at Kasara and Khopoli. From Diva, train lines extend in both directions to Vasai Road and Panvel. Further south, a line also runs outwards from Thane towards Uran City.

There are a total of 62 stations on this line. Trains running on this route start at 04:00 AM and a train starts from the terminal stations every few minutes. Trains also start from other major stations along the Central Line Mumbai, like Dadar and Kalyan.

There are 2 types of trains, slow and fast trains. This is not a reference to the train's speed but rather the stations it stops at. A slow train stops at all stations on a route, while a fast train will halt only at the major stations. A fast train from CSMT to Kalyan makes the journey in about 1 hour and 12 minutes, while a slow train covers the same distance in 1 hour and 27 minutes.

Concerns Over Central Line

The Central Railway is facing growing concerns due to increasing passenger numbers, drawing criticism from the Bombay High Court (BHC). The court criticized the railway for its treatment of local passengers like animals and urged more trains or other transport options for the Thane-Karjat-Kasara route.

Delays on the Central Railway are particularly hard on working people, worsened by limited trains to places like Karjat and Kasara. This causes inconvenience and forces passengers to dangerously hang onto overcrowded train doors which sometimes leads to tragic accidents.

Shuttle Service To Ease Travelling

To address these issues, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav plans to start a shuttle service between Thane and Karjat-Kasara. This move aims to reduce crowding and improve safety for commuters. Similar measures were taken after a cloudburst on July 26, 2005, showing that temporary shuttle services can work.