Railways moots plan to terminate harbour line trains at Sandhurst Road
A section of railway officials said the proposal was neither realistic nor feasible as the Sandhurst Road station is not equipped to handle large footfalls
Mumbai: Locals on the harbour line, which straddles the eastern sea front of the city and connects it with Navi Mumbai, may be terminated at Sandhurst Road instead of the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to free up additional tracks for long-distance trains.
A proposal to this effect was mooted before union railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw during his recent visit to Mumbai. But a section of railway officials said the proposal was neither realistic nor feasible as the Sandhurst Road station is not equipped to handle large footfalls and the Railways should explore alternative plans.
According to the proposal under consideration, suburban services on the harbour line would be terminated at the elevated Sandhurst Road station. Passengers who want to travel onward to Masjid or CSMT would either have to descend to the main line station and take a train from the slow platform or travel via road. The railways is also considering the possibility of constructing a holding area on the elevated portion at Sandhurst Road station or a 300-metre foot overbridge connecting Sandhurst Road with Masjid.
Termination of services at Sandhurst Road would free up two tracks between the station and CSMT, which are currently used for up and down services on the harbour line. These tracks would be used for running slow services on the main line, while fast trains would be run on the two tracks currently dedicated for slow trains on the main line. The tracks on which fast trains ply at present would be dedicated for long-distance trains.
While Indian Railways is undertaking several initiatives to decongest the suburban network, including building two additional lines between Kurla and CSMT, the current proposal has been mooted because it does not involve land acquisition on eastern side between Masjid and Sandhurst Road stations, which is occupied by multiple commercial and residential buildings.
“The plan is just an out-of-the-box idea at the moment and has not been given a go-ahead,” clarified a senior railway official. Byculla station would also undergo drastic changes as part of the plan, he added.
But a cross-section of railway officials said the plan was not feasible as it would cause inconvenience to commuters and put tremendous burden on platforms on the slow corridor at Sandhurst Road.
“The existing station at Sandhurst Road is not equipped to handle high footfalls. Plus, even if we create a holding area, commuters are not going to wait. It is a better to take over adjoining land for creating amenities even if people have to be rehabilitated,” said a senior railway official.
“CSMT is a vital station which cannot be ignored even though other rail terminuses are under construction or consideration. Over 100 long distance trains arrive at and depart from CSMT on a daily basis and people would expect easy, hassle-free access to the station,” said another railway official.