THE CENTRAL Railway plans to increase the number of 15-coach local train services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) by March this year with the completion of Platform 6 extension, a move expected to ease congestion on some of the busiest suburban corridors.
Currently, 15 coach outlets operate solely from Platform 7 at CSMT, with almost 22 such services operating daily. Once Platform 6 becomes operational for longer hauls, the railways intend to add another set of services, effectively doubling the number of long haul operations from the terminal, officials said.
The platform extension is part of a broader project to expand the CSMT station aimed at allowing the passage of longer commuter trains. Railway officials said a dilapidated structure at the Kurla end near Platform 7 was demolished and certain operations were shifted towards Platform 18 to clear space for the alignment required for the extension.
In the first phase, two new 15-car rakes are expected to enter service. On average, a suburban rake makes 10 to 12 trips per day. With the addition of two rakes, the number of daily trips operated by CSMT’s 15 local coaches could increase to more than 40, according to officials familiar with the plan.
“The additional long-distance services will help reduce crowding during peak hours and provide commuters with more travel options,” a senior Central Railway official said. The move is expected to benefit passengers on the heavily used CSMT-Kurla and CSMT-Thane sections, which account for a large chunk of the terminal’s suburban footfall.
Rail officials said the expansion could increase CSMT’s commuter transportation capacity by 8 to 10 percent, and that peak hour capacity on the two corridors would increase by 10 to 12 percent.
The expansion of a single platform at CSMT will see the number of CSMT’s 15-coach local services increase from the current 22 to nearly 44 a day after the expansion, adding 18 to 22 new long-distance services daily.
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The additional trains are expected to create capacity for nearly 50,000 to 60,000 more passengers per day, increasing the terminal’s suburban transport capacity by 8 to 10 percent, and peak hour capacity on the CSMT-Kurla and CSMT-Thane corridors will increase by 10 to 12 percent.
Platform expansion works are also being carried out at 34 other stations in the suburban network, of which 24 are already completed, Railways said.