This article needs additional citations for verification .(November 2011) |
The Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra. It consists of 37 stations from Dahanu Road to Churchgate railway station. It is operated by Western Railways (WR). The entire line is at grade.
Trains are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains stop at all stations, while fast ones stop at main stations only and are preferable over longer distances. Trains usually start from and terminate at main stations. The section from Churchgate to Virar is a Quadruple track. An EMU car shed has been built between Nalla Sopara and Virar which is the largest car shed in Asia. A repair shop for EMUs is situated at Mahalaxmi. There are also EMU car sheds at Mumbai Central and Kandivali.
Suburban service on what is now the Western line was offered by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway, which began running steam trains in 1867. [2] Rakes operating on DC electricity were introduced on 5 January 1928. Leslie Wilson (politician), the then-Governor of Bombay inaugurated the line running between Colaba and Borivali at Mahalaxmi, in the presence of 700 invitees. [3]
The proposal to ply Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains between Dahanu and Churchgate was approved in the 2012–13 Railway Budget. In March 2013, 18 MEMU services ran between Virar and Dahanu daily. [4] [5]
On 16 April 2013, the 160th anniversary of the Indian Railways, [6] Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurated the first EMU service between Churchgate and Dahanu Road. [7] [8] The first Churchgate-Dahanu local was flagged off around 10:47am and arrived at Churchgate at 1:44pm. Prior to the launch of this service, EMU services on WR only ran on the 60 km stretch between Churchgate and Virar. [9] [10]
The Western Line transported 127.94 crore passengers (1.28 billion) in the 2016-17 fiscal year. This is higher than the population of India according to the 2011 Census, which was recorded as 121.01 crores. During the same period, Western Railway sold 270.3 million tickets and 13.7 million season passes, earning a total revenue of ₹818.48 crore (US$98 million) from its suburban rail operations. [11]
(Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop.)
Western line | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
# | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | |
English | Marathi | |||
1 | Churchgate | चर्चगेट | C/CCG | Metro Line 3 |
2 | Marine Lines‡ | मरीन लाइन्स | MEL | None |
3 | Charni Road‡ | चर्नी रोड | CYR | None |
4 | Grant Road‡ | ग्रँट रोड | GTR | Metro Line 3 |
5 | Mumbai Central | मुंबई सेंट्रल | BCL | Indian Railways and Metro Line 3 |
6 | Mahalaxmi | महालक्ष्मी | MX | Metro Line 3 and Monorail Line 1 |
7 | Lower Parel | लोअर परळ | PL | None |
8 | Prabhadevi | प्रभादेवी | PBHD | Parel † (Central line) |
9 | Dadar | दादर | D/DDR | Indian Railways and Central line |
10 | Matunga Road | माटुंगा रोड | MRU | None |
11 | Mahim Junction | माहिम जंक्शन | MM | Harbour line |
12 | Bandra | वांद्रे | B/BA | Harbour line and Metro Line 2 |
13 | Khar Road | खार रोड | KHAR | Harbour line |
14 | Santacruz | सांताक्रुझ | STC | Harbour line |
15 | Vile Parle | विलेपार्ले | VLP | Harbour line |
16 | Andheri | अंधेरी | AD/ADH | Indian Railways, Harbour line and Metro Line 1 |
17 | Jogeshwari | जोगेश्वरी | JOS | Harbour line and Metro Line 6 |
18 | Ram Mandir | राम मंदिर | RMAR | Harbour line |
19 | Goregaon | गोरेगाव | G/GMN | Harbour line |
20 | Malad | मालाड | MDD | None |
21 | Kandivli | कांदिवली | KILE | None |
22 | Borivali | बोरीवली | BO/BVI | Indian Railways |
23 | Dahisar | दहिसर | DIC | None |
24 | Mira Road | मीरा रोड | MIRA | None |
25 | Bhayandar | भाईंदर | BY/BYR | Indian Railways |
26 | Naigaon | नायगाव | NG/NIG | None |
27 | Vasai Road | वसई रोड | BS/BSR | Indian Railways and Central line |
28 | Nallasopara | नालासोपारा | NS/NSP | None |
29 | Virar | विरार | V/VR | Indian Railways |
30 | Vaitarna | वैतरणा | VTN | None |
31 | Saphale | सफाळे | SAH | None |
32 | Kelve Road | केळवे रोड | KLV | None |
33 | Palghar | पालघर | PLG | None |
34 | Umroli | उमरोळी | UOI | None |
35 | Boisar | बोईसर | BOR | None |
36 | Vangaon | वाणगाव | VGN | None |
37 | Dahanu Road | डहाणू रोड | DRD | None |
‡ indicates the stations which Fast Up trains (to Churchgate) skip from around 5PM to 8PM. [14]
†A footbridge links Prabhadevi to Parel on the Central line.
Churchgate railway station is the terminus station at the south end of Mumbai city. In Mumbai, Western Line (WR) suburban trains use this station as terminus. Long-distance trains and goods trains terminate at Mumbai Central railway station instead.
Above list of stations is mentioned from south end going towards northern suburban areas falling on WR corridor.
Western Railway's EMU fleet consists of EMUs running on AC 25 kV power. WR uses seven 9-car rakes.
The Western line began running electric trains with DC power on 5 January 1928. [15]
On 5 February 2012, WR finished converting the entire Western line from the earlier used 1,500 V DC to 25 kV AC power. The entire power conversion project cost about ₹500 crore. Since 25 kV AC power is 17 times stronger than DC, people riding on top of the trains will be killed if they come into contact with the overhead wires. [16]
The project was also expected to improve the punctuality of train services, make them energy-efficient and allow a greater number of 12-coach and 15-coach trains to ply. Post-conversion, local trains will be able to achieve speeds of 100 km/h with ease. The next step would be to convert the remaining 9-coach trains to 12-coach ones, thus augmenting the carrying capacity by 33%. [17] The system will need less maintenance. [18]
While using DC traction, 22 substations provided power to suburban trains on the Western line. Since switching over to AC traction, substations at Mahalaxmi, Bandra, Jogeshwari, Borivli and Vasai supply 25 kV power to local trains. [19]
As of 27 March 2012, the Western line has approximately 1,290 local services running which carry about 3.55 million commuters every day. [20] These 1290 local services are operated using 80 trains. [21] Western Railways' EMUs are in 12 car and 15 car formations. [22]
The first 9-car service on the Western line ran on 2 March 1961. The 9-car service has since been phased out and the last service ran on the Western line on 20 November 2012. [23] However, 10 services (six on CR and four on WR) were still operated as 9-car even after that date as the track is shared by the Western line and the Harbour line. Harbour line platforms are too short to accommodate longer trains. [24]
In 2010, 15 car services between Churchgate and Virar were introduced. [25] They halt at all the stations between Borivli and Virar, and do not halt at any stations between Churchgate and Dadar. 15-coach trains are used in non-peak hours. They cannot be used in peak hours because the station platforms are too narrow to handle the increased foot traffic. [26]
No. of coaches | No. of Services |
---|---|
Harbour Locals | 110 |
12 | 1,150 |
15 | 30 |
Total | 1,290 [27] |
The following table shows the number of services and daily ridership on the Western line throughout its history. [28]
Year | No. of Services | Daily Ridership |
---|---|---|
1867 | 6 | No data |
1990–91 | 866 | 2.3 million |
1991–92 | 900 | 2.5 million |
2000–01 | 961 | 2.82 million |
16 April 2013 | 1305 | 3.6 million |
WR has escalators at 26 stations including some main stations like Borivali, Andheri, Dadar, Vasai Road and Virar for the common people. This helps the physically challenged and senior citizens.
As of 29 April 2013, there are 102 foot over bridges (FOB) [29] and 8 subways on the Western line. [30]
The Train Management System (TMS) is used by both staff and passengers to monitor the location of trains. TMS enables commuters to know what trains will be arriving in the next 10 minutes. The system was implemented on the Western line in 2004. [31]
Free Wi-Fi facility from the Indian Railways (RailWire) is provided at some stations of the Western Line like Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Khar Road, Andheri, Borivali, Bhayander, Vasai Road and Virar.
In 2011, 1,313 commuters died in accidents on the Western line, mainly via trespassing on ten particular stretches of track. Since mid-February 2012, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel patrol the areas from 7am-11am and 5pm-10pm, the peak times for such incidents. Initially, they used posters in an education campaign and only cautioned offenders. They later escalated to arresting people. [32]
The Mumbai Suburban Railway consists of exclusive inner suburban railway lines augmented by commuter rail on main lines serving outlying suburbs to serve the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. Spread over 450 kilometres (280 mi), the suburban railway operates 2,342 train services and carries more than 7.5 million commuters daily.
Mumbai Central is a major railway station on the Western line, situated in Mumbai, Maharashtra in an area known by the same name. It serves as a major stop for both Local and Inter-City/Express trains with separate platforms for them. It is also a terminal for several long-distance trains including the Mumbai Rajdhani Express.
The Western Railway is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways and is among the busiest railway networks in India, headquartered at Mumbai, Maharashtra. The major railway routes of Indian Railways which come under Western Railways are: Mumbai Central–Ratlam, Mumbai Central–Ahmedabad and Palanpur–Ahmedabad. The railway system is divided into six operating divisions: Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Ratlam, and Mumbai WR. Vadodara railway station, being the junction point for the Ahmedabad–Mumbai route and the Mumbai–Ratlam route towards New Delhi, is the busiest junction station in Western Railways and one of the busiest junctions of Indian Railways too, while Ahmedabad Division earns highest revenue followed by Mumbai Division and Vadodara Division. Surat railway station is one of the busiest railway station in Western Railway in non-junction category where more than 180 trains pass per day.
The Harbour line is a branch line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway operated by Central Railway. It was named so because it catered to the eastern neighbourhoods along the city's natural harbour. Its termini are Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), Goregaon and Panvel on the CSMT-Goregaon, CSMT-Panvel and Panvel-Goregaon routes.
Dahanu Road is a railway station near the town of Dahanu in Palghar district of Maharashtra. It lies on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It is the northern limit of the Suburban network, although the track continues north to Gholvad and beyond.
The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing railway lines between Bombay to the erstwhile Baroda State, that became the present-day Baroda (Vadodara) city in western India. BB&CI completed the work in 1864. The first suburban railway in India was started by BB&CI, operating between Virar and Bombay Backbay station, a railway station in Bombay Backbay in April 1867.
The Western Railway Elevated Corridor, also known as the Oval Maidan-Virar elevated corridor, was a proposed rapid transit corridor that would have run along the same alignment as the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, and link Oval Maidan with Virar.
Lower Parel railway station is a railway station on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, India. The next station south is Mahalaxmi railway station; the next station north is Prabhadevi.
Churchgate is the southern terminus on the Western Line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is located in Churchgate in South Mumbai, Maharashtra.
Goregaon is a railway station on the Western line and Harbour line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It serves the suburb of Goregaon. As a general rule, Virar-bound fast trains skip Goregaon, while Borivali-bound fast trains halt here but as it's located in between Andheri and Borivali, it works as an important halt for termination and origination of Churchgate and Mumbai CSMT/ Panvel bound services with access to Dindoshi, Oshiwara and Film City, as well as other areas such as Malad and Jogeshwari.
Kandivali is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. It serves the Kandivli neighbourhood of Mumbai, India. All slow local trains temporarily halt between Kandivali and Borivali for a few seconds for signaling purposes, which commuters call an imaginary station named Thambevali.
Borivali is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network and an outbound station. It serves the suburban of Borivali.
Mira Road is a passenger railway station located at Mira Road, a suburb in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai. It is situated between Borivali and Bhayandar stations on the Western line, of Mumbai Suburban Railway. The route of the station is located between the salt pan towards the western zone of the suburb leading towards Bhayandar.
Bhayandar is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network.
Nalla Sopara is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network, serving the town of Nala Sopara.
Virar is a railway station on the Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Virar is a terminus station. It is around one and a half hours away by train from Churchgate. Virar is a very crowded area, among other adjacent stations like Vasai Road because it is a major tourist spot. It used to be the only railway station to have services to other stations in Palghar District(in which the city of Virar itself is located), Saphale, Palghar, Dahanu and distant southern cities of Gujarat like Vapi, Surat etc. Since 2013 however, the Western Railway zone Suburban network has been extended up to Dahanu.
The Western Suburbs is the western precinct of the city of Mumbai, India. The Western Suburbs consist of Andheri, Bandra, Marol, Oshiwara Lokhandwala, Borivali, Dahisar, Goregaon, Versova, Jogeshwari, Juhu, Kandivali, Khar, Malad, Sakinaka, Santacruz and Vile Parle. Geographically, the Western Suburbs lie at the western part of Salsette Island, is a continuous urban sprawl spanning the areas from Bandra to Bhayander, which is separated by the Vasai Creek from Vasai-Virar city and Mithi River from Mumbai city district.
The Trans-Harbour line is a branch of the Mumbai Suburban Railway's Harbour line that connects Navi Mumbai and Thane and is operated by the Central Railway. Its termini include Thane, Vashi, and Panvel on the Thane–Vashi and Thane–Panvel routes. Thane is the common terminus for both the routes.
Bombay Backbay railway station was a railway station of the erstwhile BB&CI Railway, located in Bombay Backbay in Mumbai. It was the starting point of the first regular local train service of the BB&CI Railway. It started on 12 April 1867, between the Station and Viraur (Virar).