Railways plan for 26-car express trains, long stations

If local trains are getting longer, mail and express trains are not ones to be left behind. The railways have begun planning to accommodate 26-car express trains for increased carrying capacity and to cut down the waiting list.

The plans have been included in the final version of the proposed world-class Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), which will be longer and higher than the existing station. The plans envisage local train platforms fit for 15-car trains and outstation platforms for 26-car trains.

The proposal for converting CST into a world-class station received an in-principle approval last month, with longer platforms as one of its features. A French consultant has been appointed to prepare the plans.

“The 15-car local train will be a reality. It has already started running on Western Railway, and a study has begun for its implementation on CR. The new station will be equipped for that,” a senior official said.

As far as outstation trains are concerned, the latest locomotives can haul a maximum of 26 passenger coaches. The station will be designed for this requirement too. WR has already begun work at Churchgate.

“The world heritage station will be turned into a world-class station with all the state-of-the-art facilities. What this means is that the station will have facilities at par with those in other cities such as Hong Kong. Global bids will be invited for the project,” a senior railway official said. The heritage building, however, will not be touched.

“The project is to be executed with private sector partnership by leveraging the real estate potential in the space above the station and on railway land nearby,” he added.