Central line (Mumbai Suburban Railway)

The Central line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. It consists of 24 stations from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus) to Kalyan Junction. The entire line is at grade. It has section of quadruple track starting from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and ends at Kasara, Roha, Uran and Khopoli in Maharashtra.

Central line
Overview
OwnerIndian Railway
LocaleMumbai, Maharashtra
Raigad, Maharashtra
Thane, Maharashtra
Termini
Stations62
Service
SystemMumbai Suburban Railway
Operator(s)Central Railway (CR)
Depot(s)Kurla, Kalva, Matunga[1]
Rolling stockSiemens, Bombardier
Daily ridership3.9 million[2]
History
Opened16 April 1853; 171 years ago (1853-04-16)
Technical
Line length180 km (110 mi)
CharacterAt Grade
Track gauge5 ft 6 in (1,676 mm) broad gauge
Electrification25,000 V AC
1500 V DC (until 8 June 2015)
Route map

Express train Kasara
Umbermali
Khardi
Thansit
Atgaon
Asangaon
Vasind
Khadavli
Titwala
Ambivli
Shahad
Waldhuni River
Vithalwadi
Express train Kalyan Junction
Ulhasnagar
Thakurli
Ambarnath
Dombivli
Badlapur
Vangani
Vasai Road
Shelu
Juchandra
Neral Junction
Kaman Road
Bhivpuri Road
Kharbav
Karjat Express train
Bhiwandi Road
Palasdari
Kopar
Kelavli
Diva Junction
Dolavli
Dativali
Lowjee
Nilaje
Khopoli
Taloje Panchnand
Mumbra
Navde Road
Kalwa
Kalamboli
Panvel
Somatne
Express train
Thane
Rasayani
Apta
Mulund
Jite
Nahur
Hamrapur
Bhandup
Pen
Kanjur Marg
Kasu
Vikhroli
Nagothane
Ghatkopar
Nidi
Vidyavihar
Roha
Express train LTT
Kurla
Sion
Matunga
Dadar
Prabhadevi
 
Parel
Currey Road
Chinchpokli
Byculla
Sandhurst Road
Masjid
Mumbai CSMT Express train

The Central line in Mumbai consists of three major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into suburban satellite towns. Two corridors (one local and other through) on Central Railway run from CSMT to Kalyan Junction (55 km),[3] from where it bifurcates into two lines – one running up to Kasara (67 km) in the north-east and the other running up to Khopoli (61 km) in the south-east. These two corridors constitute the 'Main' Line. The Central main line shares one station with the Western line at Dadar. They consist of a fleet of Siemens as well as Bombardier EMUs.

The major car sheds on this line are at Kurla and Kalva. There are fast and slow locals here for suburban service. Slow locals halt at every station, while fast locals halts vary between Byculla, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Thane, Diva, Dombivli and Kalyan Junction. All services plying beyond this junction run slow. Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations.

Routes

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The Central line consists of the following routes:

Stations

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Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop as well as important terminal.

Main line

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Inside Mumbai CSMT station
Central line (Main)
# Distance from CST (km) Station Name Station Code Connections
English Marathi
1 0 Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus छत्रपती शिवाजी महाराज टर्मिनस ST / CSMT Harbour line
and Indian Railways
2 1 Masjid मशीद MSD Harbour line
3 2 Sandhurst Road सँडहर्स्ट रोड SNRD Harbour line
4 4 Byculla भायखळा BY None
5 5 Chinchpokli चिंचपोकळी CHP None
6 6.5 Currey Road करी रोड CRD None
7 8 Parel परळ PR Prabhadevi
(Western line)
8 9 Dadar दादर D/DR Western line
and Indian Railways
9 11 Matunga माटुंगा MTN None
10 13 Sion शीव SIN None
11 15 Kurla कुर्ला C/CLA Harbour line
12 18 Vidyavihar विद्याविहार VVH None
13 21 Ghatkopar घाटकोपर GC Metro Line 1
14 23 Vikhroli विक्रोळी VK None
15 25 Kanjur Marg कांजुर मार्ग KJRD Metro Line 6
16 26 Bhandup भांडुप BND None
17 28 Nahur नाहूर NHU None
18 32 Mulund मुलुंड MLND None
19 34 Thane ठाणे T/TNA Trans-Harbour line
and Indian Railways
20 36 Kalwa कळवा KLVA None
21 40 Mumbra मुंब्रा MBQ None
22 43 Diva Junction दिवा जंक्शन DIVA Vasai Road–Roha line
23 47 Kopar कोपर KOPR Vasai Road–Roha line
24 48 Dombivli डोंबिवली DI None
25 50 Thakurli ठाकुर्ली THK None
26 54 Kalyan Junction कल्याण जंक्शन K/KYN to Kasara and Khopoli
of (Central line)
and Indian Railways

A footbridge links Parel to Prabhadevi on the Western line.

Main Line Branches

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The main line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway runs from CSMT to Kalyan. It then splits into two corridors one going to Khopoli and other to Kasara.

South-east Section

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South-east Section
# Station Name Station Code Connections
English Marathi
26 Kalyan Junction कल्याण जंक्शन K/KYN Central line (Main)
and Indian Railways
27 Vithalwadi विठ्ठलवाडी VLDI None
28 Ulhasnagar उल्हासनगर ULNR None
29 Ambarnath अंबरनाथ A/ABH None
30 Badlapur बदलापूर BL/BUD None
31 Vangani वांगणी VGI None
32 Shelu शेलू SHLU None
33 Neral Junction नेरळ जंक्शन NRL Matheran Hill Railway
34 Bhivpuri Road भिवपुरी रोड BVS None
35 Karjat कर्जत S/KJT None
36 Palasdari पळसधरी PDI None
37 Kelavli केळवली KLY None
38 Dolavli डोळवली DLV None
39 Lowjee लौजी LWJ None
40 Khopoli खोपोली KP/KHPL None
† – Branch Line starts at Kalyan

North-east Section

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North-east Section
# Station Name Station Code Connections
English Marathi
26 Kalyan Junction कल्याण जंक्शन K/KYN Central line (Main)
and Indian Railways
27 Shahad शहाड SHAD None
28 Ambivli आंबिवली ABY None
29 Titwala टिटवाळा TL / TWL None
30 Khadavli खडवली KDV None
31 Vasind वाशिंद VSD None
32 Asangaon आसनगाव AN/ASO None
33 Atgaon आटगाव ATG None
34 Thansit थानसीट THS None
35 Khardi खर्डी KE None
36 Umbermali उंबरमाळी OMB None
37 Kasara कसारा N/KSRA None
† – Branch Line starts at Kalyan

Vasai Road–Diva–Panvel line

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The Vasai Road–Diva–Panvel line connects the Western line station of Vasai Road with the Harbour line station of Panvel. It intersects the main line of the Central line at Diva Junction. MEMUs operate between Dahanu Road and Roha via a branch line from Diva.

Vasai Road–Roha line
# Station Name Station Code Connections
English Marathi
1 Vasai Road वसई रोड BS/ BSR Western line
and Indian Railways
2 Juchandra जुचंद्र JCNR None
3 Kaman Road कामण रोड KACR None
4 Kharbav खारबाव KBV None
5 Bhiwandi Road भिवंडी रोड BIRD None
6 Kopar कोपर KOPR Central line (Main)
7 Diva Junction दिवा जंक्शन DIVA Central line (Main)
8 Dativali दातिवली DTVL None
9 Nilaje निळजे NILJ None
10 Taloje Panchnand तळोजे पांचनंद TJPD Navi Mumbai Metro
11 Navde Road नावडे रोड NVRD None
12 Kalamboli कळंबोली KLMC None
13 Panvel पनवेल PL/ PNVL Harbour line, Trans-Harbour line
and Indian Railways

History

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The first passenger train in India from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Mumbai to Thane ran on 16 April 1853 on the track laid by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway. The GIPR line was extended to Kalyan in 1854 and then on the north-east side to Igatpuri and the south-east side to Khopoli via Palasdari railway station at the foot of the Western Ghats in 1856.

Electrification

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Railway electrification in India began with the first electric train, between Bombay Victoria Terminus and Kurla by the Great Indian Peninsula Railway (GIPR) on 3 February 1925, on 1.5 kV DC. The Kalyan–Pune section was electrified with 1.5 kV DC overhead system in 1930.[4]

The previously used 1.5 kV DC was converted to 25 kV AC on 5 May 2013 from Kalyan to Khopoli and Kalyan to Kasara.[5] Conversion from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus-Thane-Kalyan section was completed on 12 January 2014.[6] The CSMT to LTT section was converted from 1.5 kV DC to 25 kV AC on 8 June 2015.[7][8]

Services

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Since November 2011, all services on the Central line have been running on 12 cars. In preparation for introducing 15 car services, CR extended platforms at Byculla, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Bhandup, Mulund and Dombivli stations, from the current 270 metres to 330 metres,[9] in order to accommodate 15 coach trains. The total cost of the work was estimated at 37.5 million (US$450,000).[10] The first 15-car service, on the Central line, departed from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus to Kalyan at 7:33 pm on 16 October 2012.[11]

As of March 2014, 75 rakes operate 825 services on the Central line daily, of which 809 are 12-car and 16 are 15-car services.[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ TNN (2 August 2012). "Sanpada, Kurla sheds to clear rake service backlog". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  2. ^ "Minor drop in deaths on tracks of Western Railways". The Times of India. 2 April 2012. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012.
  3. ^ "Bonanza for Mumbai rail commuters". Business Standard. 15 March 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Electric Traction I". History of Electrification. IRFCA. Retrieved 20 March 2014.
  5. ^ "From May 5, faster Central Railway with AC power". The Times of India. 30 April 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2014. Retrieved 16 July 2013.
  6. ^ "Soon, faster trains on Kalyan-LTT route". The Times of India. 13 January 2014. Archived from the original on 15 January 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  7. ^ a b "Central Railway plans DC/AC switch in May". The Times of India. 25 March 2014. Retrieved 11 June 2014.
  8. ^ "DC to AC conversion on Mumbai's Central Railways rail route completed". The Economic Times. Mumbai: PTI. 8 June 2015. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
  9. ^ "CR still in two minds over 15car trains". Mumbai Mirror. 23 January 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 12 March 2013.
  10. ^ "15-car rakes: Central Railway invites bids for platform extension". The Times of India. 15 April 2012. Archived from the original on 19 July 2012.
  11. ^ TNN (16 October 2012). "15-car Central Railway trains from today". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 12 March 2013.