Mumbai suburban railway
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The Mumbai Suburban Railway ( Marathi: मुंबई उपनगरीय रेल्वे) (colloquially called local trains or simply locals) consists of exclusive inner suburban railway lines augmented by
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
on main lines serving outlying suburbs to serve the
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Mumbai Metropolitan Region (abbreviated to MMR and previously also as Greater Bombay Metropolitan Area), is a metropolitan area consisting of Mumbai (Bombay) and its satellite towns in the northern Konkan division, of the Maharashtra state i ...
. Spread over , the suburban railway operates 2,342 train services and carries more than 7.5 million commuters daily. The daily commuters constitute around 40% of the daily commuters of Indian Railways. By annual ridership (2.64 billion), the Mumbai Suburban Railway is one of the busiest
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
systems in the world and arguably the worst rated by riders anywhere in the world. It has killed estimated 50,000+ passengers in the last two decades without any significant upgrade in safety rules, infrastructure or future lookout. Trains run from 04:00 until 01:00, and some trains also run up to 02:30 or 03:00. It is the first suburban rail network in India.


History

The Mumbai Suburban Railway is an offshoot of the first passenger railway to be built by the
British East India Company The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and South ...
, and is also the oldest railway system in Asia. The first train was run by the
Great Indian Peninsula Railway The Great Indian Peninsula Railway (reporting mark GIPR) was a predecessor of the Central Railway (and by extension, the current state-owned Indian Railways), whose headquarters was at the Boree Bunder in Mumbai (later, the Victoria Terminu ...
(now Central Railway) between Bori Bunder (now
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus was d ...
) and
Thane Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
, a distance of 34 km, on 16 April 1853 at 15:35. The 14-coach train took 1.25 h to complete the 34 km journey, with a halt at Bhandup to refill the train's water tanks. The next major train was run between
Virar Virar (Pronunciation: iɾaɾ is a coastal city in taluka Vasai and district of Palghar, India. It is clubbed into Vasai-Virar city, administered by Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. It lies in south part of Palghar District in Vasai Taluka ...
and
Churchgate Churchgate (Marathi pronunciation: ͡ʃəɾt͡ʃɡeːʈ is an area in South Mumbai. During the eighteenth and up to the mid-19th century, Mumbai was a walled city. The city walls had three gates, and Churchgate, named after St. Thomas Cath ...
by the
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (reporting mark BB&CI) was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing railway lines between Bombay to the erstwhile Baroda State, that became the present-day Baroda (Vadoda ...
(now Western Railway), in April 1867. was also added as a station on this route, but later shut down. On 3 February 1925, the first EMU Service was started from Victoria Terminus (now
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus was d ...
) to Coorla Harbour (now Kurla) on the Central line which was run on 1.5 kV DC traction and also started on the Western line from Churchgate to Borivali on 5 January 1928. By 2016, the entire network had been converted to 25 kV 50 Hz AC traction. The Bombay Railway History Group has been striving to document railway heritage along these lines. File:Screenshot 20190704 211901.png, The first EMU service, launched in 1925 File:BB&CI-ticket.jpg, An advertisement for the
Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway The Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway (reporting mark BB&CI) was a company incorporated in 1855 to undertake the task of constructing railway lines between Bombay to the erstwhile Baroda State, that became the present-day Baroda (Vadoda ...
File:Mumbai suburban railway emu 3.JPG, A Jessop-built 1.5 kV DC EMU train built in the 1950s. It was one of the first EMU of Mumbai suburban railway. This design was nicknamed the ''Lovemate'', and was discontinued in 2016.


Rolling stock

The suburban services are run by electric multiple units (EMUs) in 191 rakes (train sets) of 12-car and 15-car composition. To alleviate the problems of overcrowding, the nine-car trains have been phased out and replaced with 12-car ones. 15-coach trains were introduced on 21 November 2009. However, these are few in number. Equipment makers include DMU(Direct Multiple Unit), Jessop, Siemens, Bombardier, and Medha. The trains are manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
,
Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil language ...
. All routes are electrified at power supply from
overhead line An overhead line or overhead wire is an electrical cable that is used to transmit electrical energy to electric locomotives, trolleybuses or trams. It is known variously as: * Overhead catenary * Overhead contact system (OCS) * Overhead equipm ...
s. The Indian Railways plans to build a 700 MW gas-based plant in
Thakurli Thakurli is a suburb of the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation Kalyan-Dombivli is a twin city and it comes under Mumbai metropolitan region and it is a municipal corporation with its headquarters located in Kalyan in Thane district in t ...
to generate electricity to run the Mumbai trains.


Manufacturing

The current fleet of both the Western and Central railways features increasingly fewer old rakes built by BEML, BHEL, ICF ( Perambur,
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
) which are capable of a maximum speed of 85 km/h, MRVC Siemens Rakes which are capable of and 100 km/h and ICF built Bombardier rakes capable of running at speeds of 120 km/h under light traffic conditions. The actual average speed of the rakes on the slow lines is about 35 km/h, while rakes on fast lines average about 45–50 km/h on a typical run. On 12 November 2007, the first of 129 new 12-coach rakes with upgraded facilities was inducted into the fleet of the Western Railways under the MUTP project. The coaches are built of
stainless steel Stainless steel is an alloy of iron that is resistant to rusting and corrosion. It contains at least 11% chromium and may contain elements such as carbon, other nonmetals and metals to obtain other desired properties. Stainless steel's r ...
, and have non-cushioned seats, emergency fluorescent lights, bigger windows with polycarbonate panes, better suspension systems, roof-mounted forced ventilation to reduce
carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide ( chemical formula ) is a chemical compound made up of molecules that each have one carbon atom covalently double bonded to two oxygen atoms. It is found in the gas state at room temperature. In the air, carbon dioxide is t ...
levels in packed trains, and GPS based passenger information systems in all coaches. The new rakes are much cooler and airy than the old EMUs. The motors of the new rakes also make less noise than the older ones. Since 2010, the front of the EMUs is painted yellow so that the maintenance workers on the tracks can see the train easily. These rakes have been procured under the project at a total cost of 19 billion (US$431.0 million). Siemens 5 rakes that had to be delivered as part of the first phase were sent to the city in early January 2014. New EMUs with Bombardier Electrical procured under the
World Bank The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans and grants to the governments of low- and middle-income countries for the purpose of pursuing capital projects. The World Bank is the collective name for the Inte ...
-funded Mumbai Urban Transport Project-2 built at the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) in
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
started arriving into Mumbai by April 2014. The first of these trains, to be run on Western Railway, was flagged off by Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus, Kurla on Central Railway on Sunday, 27 October 2013. However, a delay of two years was anticipated due to the demands of automatic sliding doors on the trains. Under the Make in India initiative, the first Indian made rake was made by Medha. 9 car trains have a capacity of 2,628 (876 seated and 1,752 standing). 12 car trains have a capacity of 3,504 (1,168 seated and 2,336 standing). In fall 2013, brand new 12 car rakes were introduced on the railway. Whereas, on 6 November 2019, the rakes of Mumbai Suburban Railway were upgraded to Uttam rake which also manufactured by the ICF was introduced and ran on Western Line.


Air-conditioned rakes

Discussion on AC coaches first began in 2002 and was planned to be introduced in 2013. However, major delays in finalizing the rakes' design and procurement of material deferred the project. The first air-conditioned rake for use on the suburban system was built by the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai–BHEL EMU at a cost of over , and arrived in Mumbai on 5 April 2016. The rake has a
seating capacity Seating capacity is the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, in terms of both the physical space available, and limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile tha ...
of 1,028 passengers, and standing room for up to 6,000 passengers. The 12 coach rake is configured as two sets of 6 interconnected bogies, meaning passengers can walk between coaches but only up to a maximum of 6 coaches. The train is also equipped with a new electrical system and software, automatic doors with emergency opening features, and GPS-based destination display on LED indicators. The old system of pulling a chain to halt the train was replaced by four intercoms per coach that enable commuters to communicate with the driver. Both CR and WR competed to acquire the rake, with WR even announcing a time table for operating the air-conditioned rake. Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu announced that the rake would be transferred to CR on 16 March 2016. However, at a height of 4.335 meters the rake exceeds the maximum clearance height of 4.270 meters for EMU coaches on the Central Line. In particular, the rake cannot clear some of the low-height British-era bridges between CSMT and Kurla. Then Central Railway general manager Sunil Kumar Sood insisted that CR was conduct trials and operate the rake on the Harbour Line. After acquiring the rake, CR conducted tests, safety, and mobility checks, and trial runs under the supervision of the RDSO. However, following Sood's retirement, CR abandoned plans to operate the rake in December 2016. CR informed the Railway Board that it could not operate the rake due to the clearance issue, and the Railway Board directed them to transfer the rake to WR. The rake was transferred to WR on 12 May 2017. WR General Manager Anil Kumar Gupta stated that rake would begin commercial operations on the Western Line after WR conducted its own tests and trial runs and receiving regulatory approvals. Although there are some clearance issues on the Western Line as well, Gupta stated that these could be rectified. The First AC EMU was Flagged off on 25 December 2017 in WR. The first AC local train in Mumbai began operation in December 2017 and crossed the 10 lakh passenger mark within the first five months. The summer months of March and April saw over 3 lakh passengers take the AC local each month. The train, operated by Western Railway (WR), currently plies between Churchgate and Virar. It has a seating capacity of 1,028 seats and can carry 5,964 passengers. The monthly pass on the AC local train will cost (from Churchgate) between (till Mumbai Central) to (till Bandra) to (till Andheri) to (till Borivali) to (till Bhayander) to (till Vasai Road) to (till Virar). New halts were introduced after commuters demand at Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Dahisar, Mira Road, Naigaon, Nallasopara. Data shows that among all stations between Churchgate and Virar. Borivali was the highest earner for the AC train. The monthly earning of AC train is approximately per month after adding seven new halts. Two more AC local rakes were introduced and now, the services run all days of the week. The fourth air-conditioned rake on Mumbai Suburban Rail Network & first for Central Railway has been commissioned on Trans-harbour line from Thane to Panvel / Vashi from 30 January 2020. The fifth air-conditioned rake on Mumbai Suburban Rail Network & first for Central Railway Main Line was commissioned between Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Kalyan on 17 December 2020


Network

The Mumbai Suburban Railway system is operated by
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
two zonal divisions Western Railways (WR) and Central Railways (CR). The fast
commuter rail Commuter rail, or suburban rail, is a passenger rail transport service that primarily operates within a metropolitan area, connecting commuters to a central city from adjacent suburbs or commuter towns. Generally commuter rail systems are con ...
corridors on Central Railway as well as Western Railway are shared with long-distance and freight trains, while inner suburban services operate on exclusive parallel tracks. WR operates the Western Line and CR operates the Central Line, Harbour Line, Trans-Harbour Line, Vasai–Roha Line and Neral–Matheran & Panvel–Karjat line.


Central Line

The Central Line in Mumbai consists of 3 major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into suburban satellite towns. Two corridors (one local and the other through) of the Central Railway run from
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus was d ...
(CSMT) to Kalyan (53 km), where it bifurcates into two lines – one to Kasara (67 km) in the north-east and the other to Khopoli (61 km) in the south-east. These two corridors constitute the 'Main' Central Line. There is also a 36 km corridor between and Kalyan stations for exclusive use by outstation and cargo trains. The Central Line has two interchange stations with the Western Line, at Parel and Dadar, and the Harbour line at and Kurla. Rolling stock consists of a fleet of AC and alternating current new Bombardier and Siemens EMUs. The major car sheds on this line are at Kurla and Kalwa. There are both fast and slow locals. Slow locals halt at every station, while fast locals' halts vary between
Byculla Byculla (ISO: Bhāykhaḷā; pronunciation: ʱaːjkʰəɭaː is an area of South Mumbai. Location Byculla is neighboured by Nagpada and Mumbai Central and Mahalaxmi on the west; Agripada, Jacob Circle on the north-west: Chinchpokli to the no ...
, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli,
Bhandup Bhandup (Pronunciation: ʱaːɳɖup is a suburban locality in Mumbai, in the state of Maharashtra, India. The name ''Bhandup'' is derived from ''Bhandupeshwar'', one of the names of the Hindu god Shiva. An old temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, ...
, Mulund, Thane, , Dombivali and Kalyan. All trains plying beyond Kalyan run as slow trains (halting at every station).


Western Line

The Western Line follows the Western Railway northwards from parallel to the west coast. Local services by electric multiple units (EMUs) ply between Churchgate and Dahanu (124 km) on exclusive parallel tracks up to (60 km) while MEMUs service the section beyond Virar to Dahanu Road (64 km). On 16 April 2013 EMU has extended up to Dahanu Road. MEMUs also operate between Dahanu Road and via a branch line from Bhiwandi Road
Vasai Road Vasai Road Junction (station code: BSR) is a railway station on the Western line and Vasai Road–Roha line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Vasai is a historical suburban town north of Mumbai and it is located in Palghar district. ...
. There are EMU carsheds at Mumbai Central, and Virar. The largest EMU car shed in Asia is located at Virar. A repair shop for EMUs is situated at . Western Railway's EMU fleet consists of EMUs completely powered by
alternating current Alternating current (AC) is an electric current which periodically reverses direction and changes its magnitude continuously with time in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in whic ...
(25 kV) power. Rolling stock consists of a fleet of AC and alternating current new Bombardier EMUs. EMUs are 12 car or 15 car formations and are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains halt at all stations, while fast ones halt at Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra,
Andheri Andheri ( n̪d̪ʱeɾiː is a locality in the western part of the city of Mumbai in India. Udayanagari, the name of a hill near the Mahakali caves, inspired the name Andheri. On the former islet of Versova, also known as Vasave, there was an ...
, Borivali,
Bhayander Bhayandar is a suburb outside the Mumbai located near the Vasai Creek. It has a large Gujarati and Marwari population as well other mixed populations as well. It falls under the North Central ward of the Municipal Corporation. Geography Bhaya ...
,
Vasai Road Vasai Road Junction (station code: BSR) is a railway station on the Western line and Vasai Road–Roha line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway network. Vasai is a historical suburban town north of Mumbai and it is located in Palghar district. ...
,
Virar Virar (Pronunciation: iɾaɾ is a coastal city in taluka Vasai and district of Palghar, India. It is clubbed into Vasai-Virar city, administered by Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. It lies in south part of Palghar District in Vasai Taluka ...
stations and are preferable over longer distances.


Harbour Line

The Harbour Line is part of the Central Railway, and runs from
Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (officially Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Bombay station code: CSMT ( mainline)/ST (suburban)), is a historic railway terminus and UNESCO World Heritage Site in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The terminus was d ...
(CSMT) to Goregaon and Panvel. All Harbour Line services operate as slow services. The line operates from two separate platforms at CSMT and the tracks cross over the mainline at to head towards stations along Mumbai's Eastern dock area. A branch line from joins the Western Line at Mahim and continues towards Goregaon. Further construction is ongoing to extend the Western Line branch to Borivali. The Harbour Line has an interchange station with the mainline at Kurla, where it turns east towards
Navi Mumbai Navi Mumbai (), is a planned city situated on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, located in the Konkan division of Maharashtra state, on the mainland of India. Navi Mumbai is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The city ...
. The Harbour Line further bifurcates at
Vashi Juhu Vashi (Pronunciation: aːʃiː is an upmarket residential and commercial node in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, across the Thane Creek of the Arabian Sea on the outskirts of city of Mumbai. The Juhu Vashi is named after the largest villa ...
into two lines – one rejoins the main lines at
Thane Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
, while the other continues to Panvel. The shed for these trains is in Sanpada. A partial section of the Harbour Line is elevated from
Sandhurst Road Sandhurst Road (station code: SNRD) is a railway station serving Dongri area of South Mumbai, India, on the Central and Harbour Lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. It is the third stop from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus. Named after ...
to Cotton Green.


Trans-Harbour Line

The Trans-Harbour Line which is another part of Central Railway connects
Navi Mumbai Navi Mumbai (), is a planned city situated on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, located in the Konkan division of Maharashtra state, on the mainland of India. Navi Mumbai is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The city ...
and
Thane Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
. It operates from two separate platforms at Thane to
Nerul Nerul (Pronunciation: eɾuːɭ is an upmarket residential and commercial node in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Nerul is located in the Harbour Line, Trans-Harbour Lines and Nerul-Uran Line of Mumbai local train network where Kharghar ...
, where it joins the Harbour line till Panvel and a small branch line from Turbhe goes to
Vashi Juhu Vashi (Pronunciation: aːʃiː is an upmarket residential and commercial node in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, across the Thane Creek of the Arabian Sea on the outskirts of city of Mumbai. The Juhu Vashi is named after the largest villa ...
as it runs parallel with the Harbour line. All services on the trans-harbour line are all-stop services. Freight trains share the tracks through a bypass from
Airoli Airoli (Marathi pronunciation: iɾoliː is a residential and commercial area of Navi Mumbai in the Indian state of Maharashtra. The name Airoli Node is derived from Airoli-Diva Gaon the largest village prominent in the node node. It is a pa ...
to Koparkhairane, after which it goes to a siding in Turbhe for the APMC market godowns.


Vasai Road–Roha Line

The Vasai Road–Roha line is an Intersection chord rail bypass line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway which connects the Western line, Central line and Harbor line of the Western Railway zone and Central Railway zone. It runs from to which also connects and the
Konkan Railway The Konkan Railway (abbreviated KR) is one of the 19 railway zones in India with its headquarters at CBD Belapur in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. The first passenger train ran on Konkan railway tracks on 20 March 1993, between Udupi and ...
. Currently this line is used for bypassing freight trains, Express and MEMU Passenger trains. And also construction of a separate Suburban Corridor on this route for more connectivity by the MRVC is going.


Nerul–Uran line

The Nerul–Uran line, also known as the Port line, is another part of the Central Railway connects
Navi Mumbai Navi Mumbai (), is a planned city situated on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, located in the Konkan division of Maharashtra state, on the mainland of India. Navi Mumbai is part of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). The city ...
to
Uran Uran is a coastal town and part of Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It lies in the Raigad district, east of Mumbai across the Dharamtar Creek. Uran is primarily a fishing and agriculture village, which has developed into the ...
, which is also in Navi Mumbai, but at its southwestern part. It also operates from the two separate platforms of
Nerul Nerul (Pronunciation: eɾuːɭ is an upmarket residential and commercial node in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Nerul is located in the Harbour Line, Trans-Harbour Lines and Nerul-Uran Line of Mumbai local train network where Kharghar ...
and one separate platform of CBD Belapur to Uran, also making connectivity to JNPT in Navi Mumbai directly.


Services

Mumbai Suburban Railway services have trains with four main designations: * Slow trains: (denoted by an S) stop at every station. These are intended for daily commuters. * Fast trains: (denoted by an F) run express (skipping stops and going mainly to railway junctions) until a certain station, and from that station onward run like a slow train. These are intended for daily commuters as well as express connectivity to the rest of
Indian Railways Indian Railways (IR) is a statutory body under the ownership of Ministry of Railways, Government of India that operates India's national railway system. It manages the fourth largest national railway system in the world by size, with a tota ...
outbound trains. *Semi-Fast trains: (denoted by an SF) stops first at some slow stations and then at fast stations. *Air Conditioned trains: (denoted by an AC) which are air-conditioned and can be either fast or slow.


Travel classes

The suburban fleet consists of 12 and 15-coach rakes. There are two main classes of travel; the First and Second classes. The first class fare is approximately 8 times more expensive than second class and therefore tends to be less crowded during the non rush hours, though at times it is equally or more crowded than the general compartments during rush hour, due to most office employees having a first class transport pass provided by their employer. First class and Senior Citizen compartments also have cushioned seating, while the rest are typically plastic. There are following classes of travel: * Class I (''first class compartment''): Commonly known as ''first class''. The coach is designated by red and yellow slant stripes. The location of the same is designated by colouring the platform walls with similar stripes. The price is generally hiked up by eight times to prevent the compartment overcrowding. The seats in this class are leather made. * Class II (''general compartment''): Also called ''second class''. The seats in this class are plastic-made. *Class I-L (''Ladies first class''): similar to normal First Class, reserved solely for females, however male children up to the age of 13 can travel in this compartment. Men are not allowed to travel, and may face a penalty. Some of the coaches of ladies compartments are open to general public between 23:15 and 06:30. These are indicated by a note near the doors of the compartments. The coach is designated by red and yellow slant stripes. The location of the same is designated by colouring the platform walls with similar stripes. This compartment is often adjacent to the ladies general compartment. *Class II-L (''Ladies second class''): This compartment is reserved solely for females, however male children up to the age of 13 can travel in this compartment. Men are not allowed to travel and can face a penalty. Some of the coaches of ladies compartments are open to the general public between 23:15 and 06:30. These are indicated by a note near the doors of the compartments. The coach is designated by green and yellow slant stripes. The location of the same is designated by colouring the platform walls with similar stripes. *Divyangjan (''Handicapped, Pregnant Ladies and Cancer patients'' compartment): for people with disabilities or
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
. On a platform, one can locate these by signs or by following a beeping sound indicator for the visually impaired, or also by following a yellow tactile path with a walking stick. These coaches are open to all the genders. One needs a valid certificate of disability to board the compartment. Failure to do so may result in a penalty. *Senior citizens: is reserved for passengers above the age of 60. These coaches are open to all the genders. One needs a valid age proof to board the compartment. Failure to do so may result in a penalty. *Luggage: heavy goods and luggage can be transported using this compartment. These compartments are spacious and only have seats along the walls and are made to haul goods. There are also women-only cars (termed ''ladies special''), and since 1992, ''Ladies Special'' trains with the entire train seats reserved for women passengers. A semi ladies special is a train with a few (e.g., 3) coaches reserved for women. These designations can be combined with ''fast'', ''slow'', etc. with terms such as ''Slow Ladies Special''.


Air-conditioned

The Mumbai Suburban Railways are known for their open doors and windows. This is because there is no ventilation system on the trains, and the train relies on natural air ventilation. This was introduced as a cost-saving measure, as an air-conditioning system would be rendered useless during rush hour. Leaving the doors open also allows for a fast boarding process, as the trains stop for only 10 seconds, to combat overcrowding. In 2016, the Indian Railways manufactured the first local train for a journey (particularly for hot and humid summer season). This rake is manufactured at the Integral Coach Factory,
Chennai Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of th ...
. It has several new facilities, such as connected vestibules, cushioned seats, and sliding doors. It runs from
Virar Virar (Pronunciation: iɾaɾ is a coastal city in taluka Vasai and district of Palghar, India. It is clubbed into Vasai-Virar city, administered by Vasai-Virar Municipal Corporation. It lies in south part of Palghar District in Vasai Taluka ...
to and
Thane Thane (; also known as Thana, the official name until 1996) is a metropolitan city in Maharashtra, India. It is situated in the north-eastern portion of the Salsette Island. Thane city is entirely within Thane taluka, one of the seven taluk ...
to
Vashi Juhu Vashi (Pronunciation: aːʃiː is an upmarket residential and commercial node in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, across the Thane Creek of the Arabian Sea on the outskirts of city of Mumbai. The Juhu Vashi is named after the largest villa ...
/ Panvel. AC trains are fast locals and started their run from 25 December 2017 on WR and 30 January 2020 on Trans-Harbour Line.


Ticketing

The Mumbai Suburban Railway uses a
proof-of-payment Proof-of-payment (POP) or proof-of-fare (POF) is an honor-based fare collection system used on many public transportation systems. Instead of checking each passenger as they enter a fare control zone, passengers are required to carry a ticket, pa ...
fare collection system. Tickets can be purchased at every train station. Travelling without a valid ticket is an offence and if caught can result in a penalty. The penalty is steeper for passengers travelling in first class without a valid ticket. Tickets can be bought for a single journey (one way) or a return journey. A return ticket is valid till the next day on weekdays and till Monday if purchased on a Friday. The ticket counters usually have long queues. Tourist tickets are valid for one, three, or five days that can be purchased up to three days in advance. Platform tickets are required to be purchased by those members of the public not boarding trains, but who wish to access the platforms at all stations, perhaps for the purpose of receiving or seeing off a passenger and also to use footbridges. These cost . A person can be penalised for non-possession of this ticket. ;CVMs and ATVMs To save time, a Coupon Booklet can be purchased and the coupons can be punched for the designated fare at Coupon Validating Machines (CVMs) at every station. The ticket fares matrix is pasted above the CVM. As of October 2012, there are approximately 575 CVMs on Mumbai Suburban Railway stations. The Central Railway network has 350 and the Western Line has 225. In early 2015, the authorities decided to discontinue CVMs w.e.f 1 April 2015. This decision was taken due to extensive duplication of the coupons, and the lack of transparency. The coupons were also lacking a way to trace them. There are also Smart Cards available that can be topped up (recharged with some amount) and one can use it to print tickets for themselves from an Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVMs). A Season Ticket can be purchased if one is commuting regularly. One can choose the validity of these tickets from 1-month, 3 months to a year. Season Tickets are the most cost-effective and time-efficient option for regular commuters. ;Mobile app The ticket counters usually have long queues. In order to bring a solution to this problem, the UTSOnMobile app was launched by railways minister Suresh Prabhu at Dadar railway station in December 2014. This app was launched initially for Android and Windows Phone, with the iOS version developed later. To use this app, the user has to sign up with his/her mobile number. After signing up, the user has the option to load the prepaid RWallet built in the app, using credit/debit cards, net banking,
IMPS IMPS or Imps may refer to: * ''Imps*'', a comedy film released in 2009 * OMA Instant Messaging and Presence Service * Infinite Monkey Protocol Suite, an April Fools' Day RFC * The Oxford Imps, an improvisational comedy troupe * Insensitive muni ...
or private mobile-based apps. After the RWallet is loaded, the app can be used to book tickets on the entire network. Alternatively, the user may book tickets directly using credit/debit cards, net banking, IMPS, UPI, or various digital wallets such as PayTM, MobiKwik etc. for payments within the app without having to load the prepaid RWallet. Initially, the ticket booked on the app had to be printed from the ATVMs. This step was found tedious by the commuters and was criticized. Later, in July 2015, an update for the app was launched, which made e-tickets acceptable. The update also brought technical changes, like, the tickets could be booked only within a radius of 30m to 5 km of the origin station, and not from the platform. This move was well received by commuters, which resulted in over 50,000 downloads on the launch day.


Security

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) are responsible for the Security of the Mumbai Suburban Railway. The RPF is a security force under the authority of the Indian
Ministry of Railways A Ministry of Railways is a Cabinet department that exists or has existed in many Commonwealth states as well as others. It generally occurs in countries where railroad transportation is a particularly important part of the national infrastructure ...
established by the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957 has the power to search, arrest, investigate and prosecute, though the ultimate power rests in the hands of the GRP. The GRP is the main police force established by the '' Railways Act, 1989''. The GRP's responsibility is to observe law and order on all railway property. The force is under joint-control of the Indian
Ministry of Railways A Ministry of Railways is a Cabinet department that exists or has existed in many Commonwealth states as well as others. It generally occurs in countries where railroad transportation is a particularly important part of the national infrastructure ...
and the Maharashtra Police. Its duties correspond to those of the District Police in the areas under their jurisdiction, such as patrolling, but only on railway property. It also aids and provides assistance to the Railway Protection Force


Safety issues


Doors

The Mumbai Suburban Railway is known for its open doors and windows. This is because there is no ventilation system on the trains and the train relies on natural air ventilation. This was introduced as a cost-saving measure, as an air-conditioning system would be rendered useless during rush hour. Leaving the doors open also allows for a fast boarding process and turnaround time, as the trains stop for only 10 seconds, and are at most 5 minutes apart, to combat overcrowding. Passengers often end up hanging off the edge of the footboard, off door ledges, and during rush hour can lose balance and fall to their death. Teenagers and adults also attempt to perform stunts of the doorway and door ladders, thus risking their lives. Windows also have a wired grill on them, to prevent theft and chain snatching. However, passengers frequently spit '' paan'', mava and gutka while hanging off doors, which ends up entering through the open window grilles. There are also numerous records of people tripping and falling down every day while getting on and off the train, when the train is in motion, thus resulting in injury.


Overcrowding

Due to its extensive reach across the
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Mumbai Metropolitan Region (abbreviated to MMR and previously also as Greater Bombay Metropolitan Area), is a metropolitan area consisting of Mumbai (Bombay) and its satellite towns in the northern Konkan division, of the Maharashtra state i ...
, and its intensive use by the local urban population, the Mumbai Suburban Railway suffers from the most severe overcrowding in the world. Over 4,500 passengers are packed into a 12-car or 15-car rake during peak hours, as against the rated carrying capacity of around 2,000. This has resulted in what is known as ''Super-Dense Crush Load'' of 14 to 16 standing passengers per square metre of floor space.


Fatalities

On average, about 2,000 people die annually on the Mumbai Suburban Rail network; between 2002 and 2012, more than 36,152 people died and 36,688 people were injured. A record 17 people died every weekday on the city's suburban railway network in 2008. One of the reason for accidents and deaths is overcrowding (see above). Another cause of death is passengers crossing the tracks on foot to avoid footbridges. Some passengers die when they sit on train roofs to avoid the crowds and are electrocuted by overhead electric cables, or fall while hanging from doors and window bars. However, fatality rates have declined in 2018. To reduce the risk of such fatalities, longer platforms, and more frequent trains are being implemented. Central Railways in association with a behaviour architecture firm deployed
psychology Psychology is the science, scientific study of mind and behavior. Psychology includes the study of consciousness, conscious and Unconscious mind, unconscious phenomena, including feelings and thoughts. It is an academic discipline of immens ...
-based interventions at the Wadala station, reducing fatalities by about 75%. Times of India carried a news item regarding the success of this experiment. In 2010, Western Railway has pledged that its trains will stop running if "even a single person" is seen travelling on the roof. In mid-2011 a viral video depicted a youth performing stunts while dangling from the compartment of a Harbour Line train. Following this, a boy was killed while imitating the actions performed in the video. The Western and Central Railways have been using the Auxiliary Warning System (AWS), a type of Train Protection & Warning System (TPWS), since 1996. The Central Railway and Western Railway introduced a Blue Light (Virtual Gate) concept, The Blue beam light unit which will be mounted on the top of each Gate, which Guide the Commuter for Safe Boarding, avoid overcrowding and Safe clearance in the Platforms. It also helps to create a Cultural Transformation in the Behavior of the Commuter.


Terrorism

The Mumbai Suburban Railway has suffered 8 blasts and around 368 people are believed to have died as a result. * 12 March 1993 –
Bomb blast An explosion is a rapid expansion in volume associated with an extreme outward release of energy, usually with the generation of high temperatures and release of high-pressure gases. Supersonic explosions created by high explosives are k ...
at . * 13 March 2003 – A
bombing A bomb is an explosive weapon that uses the exothermic reaction of an explosive material to provide an extremely sudden and violent release of energy. Detonations inflict damage principally through ground- and atmosphere-transmitted mechanica ...
in a train in Mulund killed 20. * 11 July 2006 – A series of seven bombs in Western Railway trains killed 209 persons. * 26 November 2008 – Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus was attacked during the 2008 Mumbai Attacks killing at least 60 people.


Tourism

Tourist usage of the Mumbai Suburban Railways has seen popularity as a way to explore the day-to-day life of the city, and as such, the Central Railway has issued circulars advising tourists not to travel in the trains from 07:00 to 11:00 and 17:00 to 22:00 during weekdays because of overcrowding.


Expansion

To enable the Mumbai Suburban Railway to meet the demands of the ever-growing passenger traffic, the federal Government of India's Ministry of Railways and the state Government of Maharashtra have jointly envisioned the constitution of a separate corporate entity to operate the system. The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), a public sector unit of the Government of India under the Ministry of Railways, was incorporated under the (Indian) Companies Act, 1956 on 12 July 1999, with an equity capital of to implement the rail component of an integrated rail-cum-road urban transport project, called
Mumbai Urban Transport Project The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), is a project formulated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to bring about improvement in the traffic and transport situation in the Mumbai metropolitan region with the assist ...
(MUTP). The cost of the rail component of the project is to be shared equally by the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra. MRVC under the
Mumbai Urban Transport Project The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), is a project formulated by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to bring about improvement in the traffic and transport situation in the Mumbai metropolitan region with the assist ...
-II is completed the Harbour Line up to Goregaon. Further extension of this line has been accepted under MUTP-III till Borivali. CR has proposed constructing a 22.5 km line linking
Nerul Nerul (Pronunciation: eɾuːɭ is an upmarket residential and commercial node in Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. Nerul is located in the Harbour Line, Trans-Harbour Lines and Nerul-Uran Line of Mumbai local train network where Kharghar ...
/ CBD Belapur with
Uran Uran is a coastal town and part of Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra state in Konkan division. It lies in the Raigad district, east of Mumbai across the Dharamtar Creek. Uran is primarily a fishing and agriculture village, which has developed into the ...
. The proposed line would have 10 stations. CR has proposed a service from to , giving a boost to commuters to and from Nasik, since there are currently only three Intercity trains to Manmad ( Godavari Express,
Panchvati Express The 12109 / 12110 Panchavati Express is a superfast train that connects Mumbai with Manmad. It is a daily means of transport for passengers traveling between Mumbai, capital of Maharashtra and Nashik. It is lifeline of passengers from Manmad ...
and Manmad Rajya Rani Express) operating from Mumbai. This distance is 132 km regular, meeting the Indian Railways criteria for EMU services CR has announced that it will carry out trial runs, however it has difficulty due to the Kasara Ghat tunnels.


In popular culture


Film

The Mumbai Suburban Railway has regularly been used for film shoots. Some movies that have used the Mumbai Suburban Railway for filming are: * '' Ghulam (1998 film)'' * '' Slumdog Millionaire'' * '' Agneepath'' * ''
Wanted Wanted may refer to: Law enforcement * Fugitive, a person wanted by the authorities * Wanted poster, a poster put up to inform the public of one or more criminals whom authorities wish to apprehend Film * ''Wanted!'', a 1937 British comedy film ...
'' * '' Gangs of Wasseypur'' * ''
Life In a Metro ''Life in a... Metro'' is a 2007 Indian Hindi-language drama film co-produced, co-written and directed by Anurag Basu. Partly inspired from Billy Wilder's romantic comedy film ''The Apartment'' (1960), it features an ensemble cast of Dharmendra, ...
'' * '' Ghanchakkar'' * '' O Kadhal Kanmani'' * ''
Once Upon a Time in Mumbai Again ''Once Upon ay Time in Mumbai Dobaara!'' (; ) is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language gangster film directed by Milan Luthria and produced by Ekta Kapoor and Shobha Kapoor. A sequel to 2010's ''Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai'', the film stars Akshay Kum ...
'' * ''
Rajjo ''Rajjo'' is a 2013 Indian romantic musical produced by Four Pillars Entertainment and directed by Sahitya Akademi Award-winning writer Vishwas Patil. It stars Kangana Ranaut and newcomer Paras Arora in the lead roles and its supporting cast in ...
'' * '' RaOne'' * ''
Thalaivaa ''Thalaivaa'' () is a 2013 Indian Tamil-language action thriller film written and directed by A. L. Vijay. It stars Vijay in the title role. The film, produced by Chandraprakash Jain, features background score and soundtrack composed by G. ...
'' * ''
Dombivali Fast ''Dombivli Fast'' ( mr, डोंबिवली फास्ट) is a 2005 Indian Marathi-language drama film directed by Nishikanth Kamat. It is the story of a middle class bank employee, Madhav Apte, an ordinary, law-abiding and honest citize ...
'' * '' Balkadu'' * '' Mumbai Meri Jaan'' * '' The Train'' * ''
Yeh Jawani Hai Deewani ''Yeh Jawaani Hai Deewani'' (), also abbreviated as ''YJHD'', is a 2013 Indian Hindi-language coming-of-age romantic comedy-drama film directed by Ayan Mukerji, written by Mukerji and Hussain Dalal, and produced by Karan Johar. It stars Ranb ...
'' *'' Saathiya' *'' Zhombivali'' *'' Baaton Baaton Mein'' *'' Badlapur'' *'' Ek Chaalis ki Last Local''


Network map


See also

* Mumbai Metro * Mumbai Monorail *
Salsette–Trombay Railway The Salsette–Trombay Railway (also known as the Central Salsette Tramway) was a standard-gauge railway line on the island of Salsette in the city of Mumbai (Bombay), India. The line was opened in 1928 by the Great Indian Peninsular Railway u ...
*
Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System The Hyderabad Multi-Modal Transport System, commonly abbreviated MMTS, is a suburban rail system in Hyderabad, India. A joint venture of the government of Telangana and the South Central Railway, it is operated by the latter. The system opera ...
*
List of Mumbai Suburban Railway stations This is a List of stations of the Mumbai Suburban Railway, a suburban rail system serving the Mumbai Metropolitan Region in Maharashtra, India.The Mumbai Suburban Railway was opened on 16 April 1853. The system is operated by Western Railway a ...
* 11 July 2006 Mumbai train bombings *
M-Indicator M-Indicator is a transportation related mobile application that primarily provides information about public transportation in the cities of Mumbai and Pune. It contains details about 232 trains, making 3,000 daily trips through 108 stations on the ...


References


External links

*
Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation
Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation {{authority control Transport in Navi Mumbai Airport rail links in India 1853 establishments in British India Indian companies established in 1853 Railway companies established in 1853