12-car locals elude Harbour line again

Get delayed due to non-availability of sufficient rakes to start the service

The most-awaited 12-car local on the Harbour line has been delayed again as the Central Railway officials now believe that they do not have sufficient rakes to start the service. Divisional Railway Managar Amitabh Ojha was unable to give an estimated date by which the 12car service on Harbour line will start. It is the third delay by the CR on the issue. Initially, the service was to be started on April 1 but later postponed to April 30.

Although the CR is working diligently towards avoiding inconvenience to long-distance passengers, city commuters expect that the Mumbai suburban railway should also be given attention. Harbour line passengers have been waiting for years for the 12 car locals. The 12 car trains will decrease 33% of rush on the harbour line.

Although CR has taken a step forward by completing the AC traction on Harbour line providing better service. But the conversion has led to a decrease in services as CR had to scrap some of the older DC rakes.

Ojha said, “There are some infrastructural issues to start the 12 car trains on harbor line. But that is not the only hurdle. We also lack rakes. We need in total 9 rakes to cover up with our total number of 36 rakes, but even if we get 3 rakes initially we can introduce the 12 car locals on the harbour line”.

Last Sunday, the CR officials had taken trials of the 12 car trains where they found that some stations on the route, viz., Mankurd, Wadala and Dockyard Road have infrastructural issues. The report said that Wadala and Dockyard Road stations need more platform extension. “The infrastructural issues will be solved soon and it will not delay 12 car trains. Shortfall of rakes is the bigger issue now. As soon as CR gets at least 3 rakes, we will introduce 12 car locals on the Harbour line,” he said.

Under the MUTP-II project, the Railway Board is providing 72 Bombardier rakes to the Western Railway and the present Siemens rakes with the WR will be transferred to CR in equal numbers. So far, CR has received over 30 Siemens rakes from WR.