Among the various routes, seven indicative clusters have been worked out with four clusters for Mumbai that is the western region of the country with 33 trains
This picture has been used for representational purposes.
Two new proposed rail termini from Mumbai—Jogeshwari on the Western Railway and Parel from the Central Railway have figured in list of private train operations that the railway ministry has been planning to run.
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In a 27-page presentation for discussion with relevant stakeholders (a copy of which is with mid-day) the Niti Aayog has stated that the private operator will have the right to collect fares as per market rates and will be provided the required flexibility of the various class that the operator wants on the train and halts and halts. The basic plan outlines running of about 150 trains on 100 routes by private operators with an investment of Rs 22,500 crore.
Among the various routes, seven indicative clusters have been worked out with four clusters for Mumbai that is the western region of the country with 33 trains. Of these 33, cluster 2 has a Jogeshwari Mumbai to Tilak Bridge-Delhi daily train, cluster four having Gorakhpur-Jogeshwari bi-weekly and Ajmer-Jogeshwari daily train and cluster 3 having a tri-weekly Parel to Shirdi and a weekly Parel to Kolhapur train.
While there are other Mumbai trains on the list, these two stations, Jogeshwari and Parel, are yet to be developed into a terminus. While preliminary preparations and fund allocation has begun, the private train plan has endorsed the future of these two stations in Mumbai as an outstation terminus in the long-run. The WR authorities have proposed an outstation terminus at Jogeshwari, specifically for terminating most of the trains plying to and from Gujarat as a majority of the passengers alight at Borivli station and Jogeshwari proves to be a strategic location for terminating trains here. This will also the lead to decongestion of tracks in Mumbai.
The Parel outstation terminus is an ambitious project of Central Railway. The railways plan to shut down the 140-year-old Parel Workshop to make way for the Parel passenger terminus. With Mumbai CSMT saturated and LTT station falling out of the way for passengers on the Western Railway, the Central Railway’s idea to build a mega outstation train terminus complex at Parel in south Mumbai at the site of the existing Parel workshop had received a boost in 2018 with a budget fund allocation of Rs 193 crore. However, the trade unions have been opposing the closure of the workshop tooth and nail, just like the opposition to the introduction of private trains.
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