MRVC to change strategy for block

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has decided to change its strategy for operating a five-hour block on the Harbour line for the second time for work related to increasing the number of coaches from nine to 12. The officials had burnt their fingers the first time and were unable to complete the work during the slated time earlier, causing chaos on the line.

The Central Railway (CR) and the MRVC faced serious flak on October 25 when the block, which was to be operated from 10.15 am to 5 pm, was extended up to 6.25 pm, delaying around 100 trains on the Harbour line and causing severe overcrowding. The second block will be operated from Saturday night to early Sunday morning with the last local from CST to Panvel at 12.45 am to be run at 11 am instead. The first local from Panvel to CST will run as late as 7 am on Sunday morning.

Officials have increased the manpower for carrying out the task to 300 men, who will change crossovers, signalling etc at Vadala so as to accommodate the extra three-coaches, as the CR has kept March as the deadline for the 12-coach conversion. An official, on the condition of anonymity, said, “Unlike the last time, we will be working only on the basis of manpower. Last time, we had tried to do the work via cranes. We had used them to lift a lot of heavy and vital equipment, but we realised that this was taking more time since there was little space to manoeuvre the cranes around,” said the official.