Central Railway demolishes two-storey signal cabin at Diva station; commuters to get 6 benefits

With the cabin at Diva station gone, motormen of up and down fast trains will get a clear view of their routes. Pic/Rajendra B. Aklekar

The demolition of a 45-year-old, two-storey signal cabin at the south end of Diva station, has single-handedly paved the way for six key benefits for local trains on the Central Railway, to speed up trains and save journey time on the busy Mumbai-CSMT-Kalyan route. The changes follow the completion of the 5th and 6th lines between Diva and Thane.

Firstly the demolition created space for the much-awaited road bridge at the location. The road bridge will in turn help close one of the busiest level crossings along the line which delays and detains trains on all six lines. The moment the demolition began and made space, the bridge contractors started work to make foundations," a senior official explained.

Tracks to be straightened

"Secondly, with the signal cabin gone, motormen of up and down fast trains will get a clear view of their paths. Thirdly, it will help straighten rail tracks. The tracks here had a peculiar curve which also limited train speeds. So once the tracks are straightened up, it will help in speeding up fast trains. The degree of curvature of the tracks due to the old building restricted speed of all trains to 45-50 kmph, which would then automatically go upto 80. This will save journey time," he added.

The cabin's removal will reduce travel time for individual passengers. Pic/ Rajendra B. Aklekar

"The other two benefits include saving journey time in the overall timetable, and the alternative signal cabin built is an advanced technological version of the old one," he said. Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Shivaji Sutar confirmed the development.

Changes after new lines

The changes are following completion of the 5th and 6th lines as a new upgraded signal cabin has come up elsewhere, rendering this one standing between up and down fast lines useless. With the new lines, the CR main line of Mumbai suburban railway has got a 35-km dedicated slow and fast corridor for suburban trains.

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No. of services introduced due to the 5th and 6th lines