A Rs 193-crore outstation terminus will be built in the space, while maintenance work will be distributed to other workshops
The Parel railway workshop is among India's oldest ones
Work on one of the most ambitious projects, of building a mega outstation rail terminal at Parel that will change the face of the city, has gathered momentum after budget announcement with the first step taken - Central Railway has an issued letter to the Railway Board for the closure of the 139-year-old Parel workshop with an elaborate action plan to shift its activities elsewhere.
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This is the only workshop, other than the Diesel Locomotive Works and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, which builds diesel locomotives
With Mumbai CSMT saturated and LTT station too out of the way for passengers on the Western Railway, CR's idea to build a mega outstation train terminus complex at Parel in South Mumbai, at the site of the existing workshop, had received a boost in this year's budget with fund allocation of Rs 193 crore. In the letter issued to the railway board a fortnight ago, a copy of which is with mid-day, CR has discussed in detail how the activities at Parel workshop could be distributed to other workshops before shutting it down.
Passing the parcel
Originally, it was at Parel workshop that work on the maintenance of the new LHB coaches was proposed at a cost of Rs 88.14 crore; now kept on hold, and given the inadequate space at Matunga, the work is likely to be shifted to Nagpur. The work of maintaining the heavy 149-ton crane, diesel engines and accident relief and tower cars could be taken up at Ajmer, and the manufacturing of narrow-gauge locomotives that Parel used to do will be taken up at Kurduwadi, with the proposed work of maintenance of wagons at Kurduwadi shifted to Badnera. The new terminus at Parel will not only have passenger platforms, but also a huge maintenance yard for trains. It will be linked with the new fifth and sixth lines between Kurla and Parel, work on which is on. This is in addition to the work on Parel local train terminus, which too is underway.
The workshop story
The Parel workshop, one of India's oldest railway workshops, diversified over the years, and, at present, is also carrying out the repair and overhauling of diesel locomotives, diesel cranes and rehabilitation of mainline coaches. It also manufactures many components for diesel locos, carriages and wagon. The workshop successfully manufactured narrow-gauge locos for the Neral-Matheran section and the Kalka-Simla section. This is the only workshop, other than the Diesel Locomotive Works and Chittaranjan Locomotive Works, which builds diesel locomotives.
Rs 193 Cr
Funds allocated for Parel train terminus complex project
139 yrs
Age of the Parel railway workshop
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