The Central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It consists of 24 stations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) to Kalyan Junction. The entire line is at grade. It has section of quadruple track starting from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and ends at Kasara, Roha, Uran and Khopoli in Maharashtra.
The Central line in Mumbai consists of three major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into suburban satellite towns.Two corridors (one local and other through) on Central Railway run from CSMT to Kalyan Junction (55 km),[3] from where it bifurcates into two lines – one running up to Kasara (67 km) in the north-east and the other running up to Khopoli (61 km) in the south-east. These two corridors constitute the 'Main' Line. The Central main line shares one station with the Western line at Dadar. They consist of a fleet of Siemens as well as Bombardier EMUs.
The major car sheds on this line are at Kurla and Kalva. There are fast and slow locals here for suburban service. Slow locals halt at every station, while fast locals halts vary between Byculla, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Thane, Diva, Dombivli and Kalyan Junction. All services plying beyond this junction run slow. Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations.
Routes edit
The Central line consists of the following routes:
Stations edit
Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop as well as important terminal.
Main line edit
| Central line (Main) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Distance from CST (km) | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | |
| English | Marathi | ||||
| 1 | 0 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus | छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज टर्मिनस | ST / CSMT | Harbour line and Indian Railways |
| 2 | 1 | Masjid | मशीद | MSD | Harbour line |
| 3 | 2 | Sandhurst Road | सँडहर्स्ट रोड | SNRD | Harbour line |
| 4 | 4 | Byculla | भायखळा | BY | None |
| 5 | 5 | Chinchpokli | चिंचपोकळी | CHP | None |
| 6 | 6.5 | Currey Road | करी रोड | CRD | None |
| 7 | 8 | Parel | परळ | PR | Prabhadevi† (Western line) |
| 8 | 9 | Dadar | दादर | D/DR | Western line and Indian Railways |
| 9 | 11 | Matunga | माटुंगा | MTN | None |
| 10 | 13 | Sion | शीव | SIN | None |
| 11 | 15 | Kurla | कुर्ला | C/CLA | Harbour line |
| 12 | 18 | Vidyavihar | विद्याविहार | VVH | None |
| 13 | 21 | Ghatkopar | घाटकोपर | GC | Metro Line 1 |
| 14 | 23 | Vikhroli | विक्रोळी | VK | None |
| 15 | 25 | Kanjurmarg | कांजुरमार्ग | KJRD | Metro Line 6 |
| 16 | 26 | Bhandup | भांडुप | BND | None |
| 17 | 28 | Nahur | नाहूर | NHU | None |
| 18 | 32 | Mulund | मुलुंड | MLND | None |
| 19 | 34 | Thane | ठाणे | T/TNA | Trans-Harbour line and Indian Railways |
| 20 | 36 | Kalwa | कळवा | KLVA | None |
| 21 | 40 | Mumbra | मुंब्रा | MBQ | None |
| 22 | 43 | Diva Junction | दिवा जंक्शन | DIVA | Vasai Road–Roha line |
| 23 | 47 | Kopar | कोपर | KOPR | Vasai Road–Roha line |
| 24 | 48 | Dombivli | डोंबिवली | DI | None |
| 25 | 50 | Thakurli | ठाकुर्ली | THK | None |
| 26 | 54 | Kalyan Junction | कल्याण जंक्शन | K/KYN | to Kasara and Khopoli of (Central line) and Indian Railways |
†A footbridge links Parel to Prabhadevi on the Western line.
Main Line Branches edit
The main line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway runs from CSMT to Kalyan. It then splits into two corridors one going to Khopoli and other to Kasara.
South-east Section edit
| South-east Section | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | |
| English | Marathi | |||
| 26 | Kalyan Junction† | कल्याण जंक्शन | K/KYN | Central line (Main) and Indian Railways |
| 27 | Vithalwadi | विठ्ठलवाडी | VLDI | None |
| 28 | Ulhasnagar | उल्हासनगर | ULNR | None |
| 29 | Ambernath | अंबरनाथ | A/ABH | None |
| 30 | Badlapur | बदलापूर | BL/BUD | None |
| 31 | Vangani | वांगणी | VGI | None |
| 32 | Shelu | शेलू | SHLU | None |
| 33 | Neral Junction | नेरळ जंक्शन | NRL | Matheran Hill Railway |
| 34 | Bhivpuri Road | भिवपुरी रोड | BVS | None |
| 35 | Karjat | कर्जत | S/KJT | None |
| 36 | Palasdari | पळसधरी | PDI | None |
| 37 | Kelavli | केळवली | KLY | None |
| 38 | Dolavli | डोलवली | DLV | None |
| 39 | Lowjee | लौजी | LWJ | None |
| 40 | Khopoli | खोपली | KP/KHPL | None |
| † – Branch Line starts at Kalyan | ||||
North-east Section edit
| North-east Section | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | |
| English | Marathi | |||
| 26 | Kalyan Junction† | कल्याण जंक्शन | K/KYN | Central line (Main) and Indian Railways |
| 27 | Shahad | शहाड | SHAD | None |
| 28 | Ambivli | आंबिवली | ABY | None |
| 29 | Titwala | टिटवाळा | TL / TWL | None |
| 30 | Khadavli | खडवली | KDV | None |
| 31 | Vasind | वाशिंद | VSD | None |
| 32 | Asangaon | आसनगाव | AN/ASO | None |
| 33 | Atgaon | आटगाव | ATG | None |
| 34 | Thansit | तानशेत | THS | None |
| 35 | Khardi | खर्डी | KE | None |
| 36 | Umbermali | उंबरमाळी | OMB | None |
| 37 | Kasara | कसारा | N/KSRA | None |
| † – Branch Line starts at Kalyan | ||||
Vasai Road–Diva–Panvel line edit
The Vasai Road–Bhiwandi Road-Diva–Panvel–Roha line connects the Western line station of Vasai Road with the Harbour line station of Panvel. It intersects the main line of the Central line at Diva Junction. MEMUs operate between Dahanu Road and Roha via a branch line from Diva.
| Vasai Road–Bhiwandi-Diva–Panvel–Roha line | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | |
| English | Marathi | |||
| 1 | Vasai Road | वसई रोड | BS/ BSR | Western line and Indian Railways |
| 2 | Juchandra | जुचंद्र | JCNR | None |
| 3 | Kaman Road | कामण रोड | KACR | None |
| 4 | Kharbao | खारबाव | KBV | None |
| 5 | Bhiwandi Road | भिवंडी रोड | BIRD | None |
| 6 | Kopar | कोपर | KOPR | Central line (Main) |
| 7 | Diva Junction | दिवा जंक्शन | DIVA | Central line (Main) |
| 8 | Dativali | दातिवली | DTVL | None |
| 9 | Nilaje | निळजे | NILJ | None |
| 10 | Taloja Panchnand | तळोजा पांचनंद | TJPD | Navi Mumbai Metro |
| 11 | Navade Road | नावडे रोड | NVRD | None |
| 12 | Kalamboli | कळंबोली | KLMC | None |
| 13 | Panvel | पनवेल | PL/ PNVL | Harbour line, Trans-Harbour line and Indian Railways |
History edit
The first passenger train in India from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai to Thane ran on 16 April 1853 on the track laid by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. The GIPR line was extended to Kalyan in 1854 and then on the north-east side to Igatpuri and the south-east side to Khopoli via Palasdari railway station at the foot of the Western Ghats in 1856.
Electrification edit
Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) on 3 February 1925, on 1.5 kV DC. The Kalyan–Pune section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC overhead system in 1930.[4]
The previously used 1.5 kV DC was converted to 25 kV AC on 5 May 2013 from Kalyan to Khopoli and Kalyan to Kasara.[5] Conversion from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Thane-Kalyan section was completed on 12 January 2014.[6] The CSMT to LTT section was converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on 8 June 2015.[7][8]
Services edit
Since November 2011, all services on the Central line have been running on 12 cars. In preparation for introducing 15 car services, CR extended platforms at Byculla, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Mulund and Dombivli stations, from the current 270 metres to 330 metres,[9] in order to accommodate 15 coach trains. The total cost of the work was estimated at ₹37.5 million (US$470,000).[10] The first 15-car service, on the Central line, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Kalyan at 7:33 pm on 16 October 2012.[11]
As of March 2014, 75 rakes operate 825 services on the Central line daily, of which 809 are 12-car and 16 are 15-car services.[7]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ TNN (2 August 2012). "Sanpada, Kurla sheds to clear rake service backlog". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ^ "Minor drop in deaths on tracks of Western Railways". The Times of India. 2 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012.
- ^ "Bonanza for Mumbai rail commuters". Business Standard. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ^ "Electric Traction I". History of Electrification. IRFCA. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
- ^ "From May 5, faster Central Railway with AC power". The Times of India. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
- ^ "Soon, faster trains on Kalyan-LTT route". The Times of India. 13 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ a b "Central Railway plans DC/AC switch in May". The Times of India. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
- ^ "DC to AC conversion on Mumbai's Central Railways rail route completed". The Economic Times. Mumbai: PTI. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ "CR still in two minds over 15car trains". Mumbai Mirror. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
- ^ "15-car rakes: Central Railway invites bids for platform extension". The Times of India. 15 April 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.
- ^ TNN (16 October 2012). "15-car Central Railway trains from today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.