Mumbai’s local train system, referred to as the lifeline of the city, plays a vital role in the daily commute of millions of people. Last year the fifth and sixth railway lines between Thane and Diva stations on the Central Railway (CR) network were inaugurated. These additional lines were intended to facilitate the seamless movement of long-distance trains from Lokmanya Tilak Terminus in Kurla to Kalyan, freeing up the existing lines for local train services.
At the time of the inauguration, there was much anticipation that the two new lines would significantly ease the travel experience for suburban rail commuters. The CR had stated that there was potential to operate up to 100 more local trains on the older tracks. However, the reality fell short of expectations. CR authorities announced the operation of only 36 new services.
Despite the existence of two additional rail lines on the Thane-Diva route, not a single new local train has been introduced since the inauguration. The delay and subsequent cost escalation of the project is also a point of concern. Officials from MRVC mentioned that when they planned the two lines, they were confident that an additional 100 local services could be operated on the older tracks. However, CR officials maintained that the maximum feasible addition was 86 services, yet only 36 have been introduced.
