Another fortnight before 12-car trains restart on CST-Andheri route

Commuters using the Andheri-CST harbour line will have to wait a little longer to avail the Central Railways' (CR) 12-car trains. CR has decided to concentrate on running the 12-car services on CST-Panvel first. The two new platforms on Andheri station, which can accommodate 12-car trains, will run 9-car services for another 2-3 weeks.

12-car services on the newly-built platforms 6 and 7 of Andheri station will take 2-3 weeks longer. Pic/Sameer Markande

The new platforms on Andheri station 6 and 7 run parallel to platform 1 on the west side. The Western Railway (WR) started them yesterday, after a 10-day block where daily 40 services were cancelled. mid-day had reported about this on May 27 in,‘40 daily services to be cancelled as Andheri gets new platform.'

The new platforms will help in adding 12-car trains to the existing fleet on the Harbour line, which currently runs 9-car on this route. At present, WR operates only one 9-car train, while nearly seven 9-car trains are operated by CR.

"We will withdraw the only train that we operate on Harbour line and have asked the CR to run completely," said Mukul Jain, Divisional Railway Manager (Mumbai), WR.

Inspection
CR authorities say they will now start inspecting stations under WR and soon make markings of first class and ladies compartment as it exists on their line. Currently, CR operates ten 12-car trains out of the 36 trains, which have to be converted into 12-car.

"We are getting more coaches for augmenting the services. By another 2 weeks or so the first 12-car train on CST-Andheri can be operated," said Amitabh Ojha, Divisional Railway Manager (Mumbai), CR.

The CST-Andheri trains would be terminated on platform 7, which is the first platform on west side of the station.

While platform 6, located next to platform 1, will see WR's Churchgate-bound trains that start and terminate at Andheri.

This is being done so that commuters who want to proceed towards Borivli can directly go on platform 1, where the down slow trains come. "We will also transfer those services that normally terminate from platform 2," said a senior WR official.