Harbour line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)
The Harbour line is a branch line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway operated by Central Railways. It was named so because it catered to the eastern neighbourhoods along the city's natural harbour. Its termini are Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Andheri and Panvel on the CST-Andheri, CST-Panvel and Panvel-Andheri routes. The first section of the line, between Kurla and Reay Road, opened on 12 December 1910. In 1925, the line was connected to the then Victoria Terminus via an elevated rail corridor between Dockyard Road and Sandhurst Road.[2] Suburban services to Mankhurd began in 1951. The line was later extended from Mankhurd to serve most of Navi Mumbai via the Mankhurd–Belapur–Panvel rail corridor in the 1990s.
The line is a double line and therefore does not have any fast trains on it. The line runs parallel to the Central Railway line till just before Sandhurst Road station where the line turns eastward and runs elevated up till Sewri. At Wadala Road, the line branches into two. The first line joins with the Western line at Mahim and terminates at Andheri. The second line follows through Mankhurd into the city of Navi Mumbai, where it again branches out into two lines, one going to Thane and the other to Panvel. The first stop outside Mumbai is the township of Vashi.
The Mankhurd–Belapur–Panvel rail corridor that connects the suburban rail network to Navi Mumbai was commissioned in phases in the 1990s. Vashi was connected in May 1992, Nerul in February 1993, Belapur in June 1993 and Panvel in June 1998. The corridor was converted to double line in April, 2000.[3] In 2004, the Trans-Harbour line was opened to the public. The line directly connected Vashi to Thane. This proved to be a boon for commuters of the two stations, who, until then, had to take a circuitous route via Mumbai city and had to change trains at Kurla.
The last direct current (DC) suburban local train ran on the Harbour line on 10 April 2016. The special train left Kurla at 11:30 pm and reached CST at 12:15 am. The iconic yellow-and-maroon DC local trains had their first service on 3 February 1925, when the first electric local ran between CST and Kurla ran on the Harbour line. The tickets for the last service were priced at ₹10000 (US$150), with the proceeds to be donated to drought-affected regions of Maharashtra. The Indian Express reported that not a single ticket was sold. After the last DC service ran, Central Railway officially announced the completion of DC to AC conversion on the Harbour Line.[4]
About 580 services run daily on the Harbour line.[5] Approximately 208 of those are on the Thane-Vashi-Nerul-Panvel route and 172 of those run on the CST-Andheri route.[6]
Stations
(All Harbour line services are slow, which means they halt at all passing by stations.)
Harbour line (CST–Wadala Road–Andheri/Panvel) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | ||
English | Marathi | Hindi | |||
1 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus | छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनस | छत्रपती शिवाजी टर्मिनस | ST | Central line |
2 | Masjid | मशिद | मस्जिद | Central line | |
3 | Sandhurst Road | सैंडहर्स्ट रोड | सैंडहर्स्ट रोड | Central line | |
4 | Dockyard Road | डॉकयार्ड रोड | डॉकयार्ड रोड | None | |
5 | Reay Road | रे रोड | रे रोड | None | |
6 | Cotton Green | कॉटन ग्रीन | कॉटन ग्रीन | None | |
7 | Sewri | शिवडी | शिवडी | None | |
8 | Wadala Road | वडाळा रोड | वडाला रोड | VD | To Andheri or Panvel (Harbour line) |
At Wadala Road, the Harbour line splits into two corridors, one going to Panvel and the other to Andheri.
Towards Panvel
Harbour line (Wadala Road–Panvel) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | ||
English | Marathi | Hindi | |||
8 | Wadala Road | वडाळा रोड | वडाला रोड़ | VD | To Andheri (Harbour line) |
9 | Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar | गुरु तेग बहादुर नगर | गुरु तेग बहादुर नगर | None | |
10 | Chunabhatti | चुनाभट्टी | चुनाभट्टी | None | |
11 | Kurla | कुर्ला | कुर्ला | CH | Central line |
12 | Tilak Nagar | टिळकनगर | तिलकनगर | TKNG | None |
13 | Chembur | चेंबूर | चेंबूर | CM | Mumbai Monorail |
14 | Govandi | गोवंडी | गोवंडी | None | |
15 | Mankhurd | मानखुर्द | मानखुर्द | M | None |
16 | Vashi | वाशी | वाशी | VA | Trans-Harbour line |
17 | Sanpada | सानपाडा | सानपाड़ा | Trans-Harbour line | |
18 | Juinagar | जुईनगर | जुईनगर | Trans-Harbour line | |
19 | Nerul | नेरूळ | नेरूल | NU | Trans-Harbour line |
20 | Seawoods-Darave | सीवूड्स-दारावे | सीवूड्स-दारावे | None | |
21 | CBD Belapur | सी.बी.डी. बेलापूर | सी.बी.डी. बेलापूर | BR | Navi Mumbai Metro |
22 | Kharghar | खारघर | खारघर | None | |
23 | Mansarovar | मानसरोवर | मानसरोवर | None | |
24 | Khandeshwar | खांदेश्वर | खांदेश्वर | Navi Mumbai Metro | |
25 | Panvel | पनवेल | पनवेल | PL | Central line |
Towards Andheri
Harbour line (Wadala Road–Andheri) | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
# | Station Name | Station Code | Connections | ||
English | Marathi | Hindi | |||
8 | Wadala Road | वडाळा रोड | वडाला रोड | VD | To Panvel (Harbour line) |
9 | King's Circle | किंग्ज सर्कल | किंग्ज सर्कल | None | |
10 | Mahim | माहिम | माहिम | Western line | |
11 | Bandra | वांद्रे | बान्दरा | B | Western line |
12 | Khar Road | खार रोड | खार रोड | Western line | |
13 | Santacruz | सांताक्रुझ | सांताक्रुझ | Western line | |
14 | Vile Parle | विले पार्ले | वि₳ले पार्ले | Western line | |
15 | Andheri | अंधेरी | अंधेरी | AD | Western line Mumbai Metro |
Future development
Work is underway to extend the Harbour line up to Goregaon. The project will cost ₹1.03 billion (US$15 million).[7] It is expected to be completed by December 2016. Further extension of this line has been accepted under MUTP III till Borivali.
Harbour line services will be converted to 12-car by December 2016. This is expected to increase the carrying capacity of the Harbour line by nearly 33%.[8] The core project will cost ₹7.50 billion and about 153 more coaches will be required.[9]
Harbour line faces the chronic problem of old rakes, with some of them being older than 30 years. According to the Central Railway, of the 72 new Bombardier AC traction rakes being procured, the Harbour line would be given 36 of them, on a priority basis, once the DC to AC traction is completed by mid-2015.[10]
Kurla–Shivajinagar service
CR has sought permission from the Railway Board to run EMUs on the Harbour line between Kurla and Shivajinagar in Pune. The service would provide direct connectivity between Navi Mumbai and Pune, which is currently not available.[11] EMUs will be modified to include six motor cars.
CR plans to use 16 coach mail/express trains to cover the 170 km distance in approximately 2 hours and 50 minutes. Stations on the line will be Kurla, Vashi, Belapur, Panvel, Karjat, Lonavla and Shivajinagar.[12]
See also
- Mumbai Suburban Railway
- List of Mumbai Suburban Railway stations
- CST–Panvel Fast Corridor
- Central Railway
References
- ↑ Mumbai: CST-Panvel line may run fully AC trains–India–IBNLive
- ↑ "Harbour line to take elevated route at Kurla". The Times of India. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 7 October 2014.
- ↑ CIDCO. "Railway Projects". Retrieved 6 October 2014.
- ↑ http://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/end-of-an-era-mumbai-bids-goodbye-to-last-dc-local/
- ↑ "CR wants Sewri, Chunnabhatti crossings shut during peak hours, News–City". Mumbai Mirror. Retrieved 2012-01-10.
- ↑ "Harbour line woes to continue for now". The Times of India. 19 December 2011.
- ↑ http://www.mumbaimirror.com/article/2/20120726201207260407596579478e07e/Lots-of-elbow-room-at-new-Harbour-stns.html
- ↑ From 2015, 12-car trains to run on Harbour line–Mumbai–DNA
- ↑ MRVC picks out Oshiwara station from shortlist of five–Mumbai–DNA
- ↑ Harbour line to move to Alternating Current by June 2015–Asian Age
- ↑ http://www.expressindia.com/latest-news/pune-may-soon-have-its-first-direct-train-to-navi-mumbai/1007024/
- ↑ "Central Railway plans to connect Navi Mumbai and Pune–The Times of India". The Times Of India.
External links
- Harbour line timetable (July 2010)
- All about Travelling in Mumbai, including Harbour Railway, Local Train Timetable
- HARBOUR Railway local Train Timetable
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