General manager tells mid-day 15-car slow trains will be brought all the way till Mumbai Central in phases; in an exclusive interview with mid-day, he spoke about the future of suburban rail operations and his long-term vision for the two networks
Chaos is witnessed during the evening rush hour at CSMT as overcrowding grips Central Railway’s suburban network. File pic/Ashish Raje
To address the chronic problem of overcrowding on the suburban railway network, Western Railway has drawn up a long-term plan to introduce 15-car trains up to Mumbai Central on the slow line in a phased manner.
From Metro rail to the bullet train project and now at the helm of both Central and Western Railway, 58-year-old Vivek Kumar Gupta, a 1988-batch Indian Railway Service of Engineers officer, has been closely involved in shaping rail-based transport across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and beyond.
WR GM Vivek Kumar Gupta (left) during an inspection of suburban railway infrastructure. Pic/By Special Arrangement
In an exclusive interview with mid-day, he spoke about the future of suburban rail operations and his long-term vision for the two networks.
Excerpts from the interview.
You have worked across Metro planning, suburban rail and even high-speed rail. How do you see your role in Mumbai’s transport system today?
My role has largely been focused on planning and execution rather than public-facing advocacy. Early in my career with RITES, I worked on alignment design and planning for Mumbai Metro Line 2 and Line 4, which involved feasibility studies and demand assessment.
Today, as general manager of both Central and Western Railway, the focus is on completing unfinished rail corridors and upgrading existing infrastructure on two of the most complex suburban railway systems in the world. Having also led the National High Speed Rail Corporation, the task now is to ensure that suburban rail, Metro and other rail-based systems evolve in a coordinated manner rather than in isolation.
The Metro network is expanding rapidly. Will it meaningfully reduce crowding on Mumbai’s suburban railway?
The suburban railway will continue to be Mumbai’s primary lifeline even after the Metro network is completed. The Metro is designed to complement the suburban system, not replace it.
A crowded scene during evening peak hours at a station on Central Railway. File pic/Ashish Raje
Suburban trains will remain heavily used because demand continues to grow and because Metro lines have largely been planned along corridors where traditional railway lines did not exist. That is why there is sustained investment in upgrading and expanding suburban rail capacity alongside Metro development. The suburban network itself is being upgraded to integrate better with the Metro system.
Overcrowding remains the biggest commuter concern. What immediate steps are being taken to address this?
One of the most effective short-term measures is the systematic increase in the number of 15-car local trains. On Western Railway, 15-car services currently operate on the slow corridor between Andheri and Virar. Work is underway to extend them up to Bandra.
In the first phase, the plan is to take these services further to Dadar and eventually to Mumbai Central on the slow line. This requires careful planning, including platform extensions and infrastructure upgrades, and is being implemented in phases.
Vivek Kumar Gupta, WR general manager and officiating head of CR (right), during a field inspection. Pic/By Special Arrangement
On Central Railway, platforms are being lengthened and infrastructure upgraded to support longer trains. In parallel, both Central and Western Railways will increase the number of AC local services from January 26.
What are the key infrastructure upgrades underway on Central Railway beyond the 15-car plan?
Central Railway is undergoing upgrades at multiple locations. These include the development of new corridors beyond Kalyan, extensive remodelling work at Kalyan station, and infrastructure improvements at Panvel.
Kurla station, which is operationally one of the most complex nodes, has been particularly challenging. Work has now begun from the Tilak Nagar end. These projects are part of a broader transformation, with several works currently in progress and expected to be completed over the next few years.
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