Harbour to run first 12-coach by Friday

The Harbour line is expected to increase its capacity by roughly 14,000 commuters during peak hours with the addition of a single 12-coach train, which will start plying on this route by Friday.

This was announced by Central Railway (CR) divisional railway manger (DRM) Amitabh Ojha Wednesday afternoon.

According to railway statistics, a 12-coach train is able to transport at least 5,000 commuters during the morning or evening peak hours. A 12-coach train has a seating capacity of 1,255 and a standing capacity of 3,745. This increases the capacity of each service on the Harbour by a whopping 1,000 commuters compared to the nine-coach service. The division will launch 14 services of the much-awaited 12-coach trains on the Harbour line on Friday, April 29, and will increase its capacity further by 14,000 commuters with the introduction of a second 12-coach rake next week.

Mr Ojha had on April 13 declared that the CR would operate its first 12-coach within a fortnight on the line but officials said they would have to first wait and watch how the 12-coach train would impact the time-table and only then the second 12-coach rake would be introduced.

“We will introduce only one 12-coach rake on Friday; a single rake will be good to run 14 services a day. After studying for a week how and where we can tweak the time-table, we will introduce another rake,” said Mr Ojha.

The first services will be run at 6 am from Vashi to Vadala Road and one among the 14 services will leave from CST at 7.20 pm for Panvel.

“We hope the 12-coach train will bring in some relief on the Harbour line,” added Mr Ohja.

The CR had converted its mainline from nine to 12 coaches back in 1987 and has finally done the same on the Harbour after its conversion from Direct Current (DC) to Alternate Current (AC) on April 10 this year.