Why the debate started
A new tender for upgrading Sanpada car shed to maintain 15-car trains has triggered speculation that the Railways may be preparing to introduce 15-car locals on the Harbour line as well.
mid-day first to report
Central Railway is converting 20 existing 12-car rakes into 15-car rakes on the main line, marking one of the largest capacity boosts in more than a decade.
Where the upgrade applies (Main line only)
>> CSMT-Karjat
>> CSMT-Khopoli
>> CSMT-Kasara
CR officials insist there is no plan to convert harbour line services to 15-car trains. Representation pic/Satej Shinde
Operational impact of 15-car trains
>> Longer clearance time for each section
>> Changes in acceleration and braking patterns
>> Need to revise schedules
>> Higher risk of cascading delays if not managed well
Purpose
>> Modify overhead electrical equipment
>> Enable handling of 15-coach rakes
>> Support main line deployment of 15-car trains
Infrastructure work under MUTP IIIA
Upgrades at:
>> Kurla car shed
>> Kalva car shed
>> Sanpada car shed
‘Good idea’
Subhash Gupta, Pravasi Sangh
“The idea of 15-car trains on the Harbour line is good, but the priority should be the main line. We need longer trains beyond Thane and Kalyan first.”
Ramika Yadav, commuter
“The Harbour line is neglected. Any improvement is welcome. More 15-car trains overall will help ease crowds.”
Janardhan Kumar Patel
“The Harbour line needs better punctuality and frequency first. Crowding is severe beyond Kurla towards Panvel. The trans-harbour needs upgrades too.”
Ravalnath Prabhu
“We cannot keep extending trains endlessly. After 15 cars, there will be calls for 18 and so on. The system needs stability.”
What Railways say about Harbour line
CR officials insist there is no plan to convert Harbour line services to 15-car trains. “The Sanpada car shed also handles main line rakes, so it is being upgraded along with Kalwa and Kurla. The Harbour line has no space left for 15-car operations. Even the shift from nine-car to 12-car platforms was extremely difficult, so extending to 15-car is not feasible,” an official said.
Final word
Harbour line will remain 12-car. The Sanpada tender relates only to the main line upgrade.
