Western line
Overview
OwnerIndian Railways
LocaleMumbai, Maharashtra, India
Palghar district, Maharashtra, India
Termini
Stations39
WebsiteWestern Railways
Service
SystemMumbai Suburban Railway
Operator(s)Western Railway zone
Depot(s)Virar, Kandivali, Mumbai Central, Lower Parel
Daily ridership2.657 million (2022-23)[1]
Ridership969.805 million (annual; 2022-23)
History
Opened12 April 1867 (1867-04-12)
Technical
Line length123.78 km (76.91 mi)
CharacterAt grade
Track gauge1,676 mm (5 ft 6 in)
Electrification25,000 V AC through overhead catenary
Route map
Ahmedabad–Mumbai main line
 Dahanu Road
 Vangaon
 Boisar
 Umroli
 Palghar
 Kelve Road
 Saphale
Vaitarna River
 Vaitarna
 Virar
 Nallasopara
 Vasai Road
Central line and Vasai Road - Roha line
 Naigaon
Vasai Creek
 Bhayandar
 Mira Road
 Dahisar
Dahisar River
 Borivali
 Kandivli
 Malad
planned extension to Borivali
 Goregaon
 Ram Mandir
 Jogeshwari
 Andheri
Line 1
 Vile Parle
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Sahar Airport
 Santacruz
Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport Sahar Airport
 Khar Road
Bandra
Mithi River
 Mahim
Harbour line
 Matunga Road
Central line
 Dadar
planned
Monorail
 Prabhadevi
 Parel
Central line
 Lower Parel
 Mahalaxmi
Line 3
 Mumbai Central
Line 3
 Grant Road
Line 3
 Charni Road
 Marine Lines
 Churchgate
Line 3

The Western line of the Mumbai Suburban Railway is a public transit system serving Mumbai Metropolitan Region, Maharashtra. It consists of 37 stations from Dahanu Road to Churchgate railway station. It is operated by Western Railways (WR). The entire line is at grade.

Trains are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains stop at all stations, while fast ones stop at main stations only and are preferable over longer distances. Trains usually start from and terminate at main stations. The section from Churchgate to Virar is a Quadruple track. An EMU car shed has been built between Nalla Sopara and Virar which is the largest car shed in Asia. A repair shop for EMUs is situated at Mahalaxmi. There are also EMU car sheds at Mumbai Central and Kandivali.

History

Churchgate Station, Western Railway HQ

Suburban service on what is now the Western line was offered by the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway, which began running steam trains in 1867.[2] Rakes operating on DC electricity were introduced on 5 January 1928. Leslie Wilson (politician), the then-Governor of Bombay inaugurated the line running between Colaba and Borivali at Mahalaxmi, in the presence of 700 invitees.[3]

The proposal to ply Electric Multiple Unit (EMU) trains between Dahanu and Churchgate was approved in the 2012–13 Railway Budget. In March 2013, 18 MEMU services ran between Virar and Dahanu daily.[4][5]

On 16 April 2013, the 160th anniversary of the Indian Railways,[6] Railway Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal inaugurated the first EMU service between Churchgate and Dahanu Road.[7][8] The first Churchgate-Dahanu local was flagged off around 10:47am and arrived at Churchgate at 1:44pm. Prior to the launch of this service, EMU services on WR only ran on the 60 km stretch between Churchgate and Virar.[9][10]

The Western Line transported 127.94 crore passengers (1.28 billion) in the 2016-17 fiscal year. This is higher than the population of India according to the 2011 Census, which was recorded as 121.01 crores. During the same period, Western Railway sold 270.3 million tickets and 13.7 million season passes, earning a total revenue of ₹818.48 crore (US$100 million) from its suburban rail operations.[11]

Timeline

  • 12 April 1887: The BB commences daily service between Virar and Backbay
  • 1870: Churchgate station opened
  • 1873: Colaba Terminus commissioned
  • 5 January 1928: First electric train runs between Colaba & Borivili
  • 1930: Colaba station closed
  • 1936: Steam engines are withdrawn from service; Borivili–Virar section electrified[3]
  • 2 March 1961: Introduction of 9-car trains
  • 1972: Total number of services crosses the 500 mark
  • 1986: Introduction of 12-car trains
  • 1992: Introduction of special trains for ladies and reserved seating for seniors
  • 1993: Introduction of special handicapped compartment
  • 2003: Total number of services crosses the 1,000 mark
  • 2007: Indian Railways' first ATVMs introduced on WR; DC-AC conversion of Borivili–Virar section completed[3]
  • 21 November 2009 : Introduction of 15-car rakes
  • November 2011: DC-AC conversion of Borivili–Vile Parle section complete[3]
  • 5 February 2012 : Conversion from DC to AC traction completed
  • 16 April 2013 : Extension of line from Virar to Dahanu Road
  • 27 November 2016 : 37th station, Ram Mandir railway station at Oshiwara was opened between Goregaon and Jogeshwari station.
  • 25 December 2017 : The first air-conditioned suburban train service in India began at 10:32 AM departing from Borivali to Churchgate.[12][13]

Stations

New trains on the Western Railway
Train leaving Churchgate station
SantaCruz station

(Names in bold indicate that the station is a fast train stop.)

Western line
# Station Name Station Code Connections
English Marathi
1Churchgate चर्चगेटC/CCGMetro Line 3
2Marine Lines‡ मरीन लाइन्सMELNone
3Charni Road‡ चर्नी रोडCYRNone
4Grant Road‡ ग्रँट रोडGTRMetro Line 3
5Mumbai Central मुंबई सेंट्रलBCLIndian Railways and Metro Line 3
6Mahalaxmi महालक्ष्मीMXMetro Line 3 and Monorail Line 1
7Lower Parel लोअर परळPLNone
8Prabhadevi प्रभादेवीPBHDParel†
(Central line)
9Dadar दादरD/DDRIndian Railways and Central line
10Matunga Road माटुंगा रोडMRUNone
11Mahim Junction माहिम जंक्शनMMHarbour line
12Bandra वांद्रेB/BAHarbour line and Metro Line 2
13Khar Road खार रोडKHARHarbour line
14Santacruz सांताक्रुझSTCHarbour line
15Vile Parle विलेपार्लेVLPHarbour line
16Andheri अंधेरीAD/ADHIndian Railways, Harbour line and Metro Line 1
17Jogeshwari जोगेश्वरीJOSHarbour line and Metro Line 6
18Ram Mandir राम मंदिरRMARHarbour line
19Goregaon गोरेगावG/GMNHarbour line
20Malad मालाडMDDNone
21Kandivli कांदिवलीKILENone
22Borivali बोरीवलीBO/BVIIndian Railways
23Dahisar दहिसरDICNone
24Mira Road मीरा रोडMIRANone
25Bhayandar भाईंदरBY/BYRIndian Railways
26Naigaon नायगावNG/NIGNone
27Vasai Road वसई रोडBS/BSRIndian Railways and Central line
28Nallasopara नालासोपाराNS/NSPNone
29Virar विरारV/VRIndian Railways
30Vaitarna वैतरणाVTNNone
31Saphale सफाळेSAHNone
32Kelve Road केळवे रोडKLVNone
33Palghar पालघरPLGNone
34Umroli उमरोळीUOINone
35Boisar बोईसरBORNone
36Vangaon वाणगावVGNNone
37Dahanu Road डहाणू रोडDRDNone

‡ indicates the stations which Fast Up trains (to Churchgate) skip from around 5PM to 8PM.[14]

†A footbridge links Prabhadevi to Parel on the Central line.

Churchgate railway station is the terminus station at the south end of Mumbai city. In Mumbai, Western Line (WR) suburban trains use this station as terminus. Long-distance trains and goods trains terminate at Mumbai Central railway station instead.

Above list of stations is mentioned from south end going towards northern suburban areas falling on WR corridor.

Andheri station

Electrification

Churchgate station, during rush hour

Western Railway's EMU fleet consists of EMUs running on AC 25 kV power. WR uses seven 9-car rakes.

The Western line began running electric trains with DC power on 5 January 1928.[15]

On 5 February 2012, WR finished converting the entire Western line from the earlier used 1,500 V DC to 25 kV AC power. The entire power conversion project cost about ₹500 crore. Since 25 kV AC power is 17 times stronger than DC, people riding on top of the trains will be killed if they come into contact with the overhead wires.[16]

The project was also expected to improve the punctuality of train services, make them energy-efficient and allow a greater number of 12-coach and 15-coach trains to ply. Post-conversion, local trains will be able to achieve speeds of 100 km/h with ease. The next step would be to convert the remaining 9-coach trains to 12-coach ones, thus augmenting the carrying capacity by 33%.[17] The system will need less maintenance.[18]

While using DC traction, 22 substations provided power to suburban trains on the Western line. Since switching over to AC traction, substations at Mahalaxmi, Bandra, Jogeshwari, Borivli and Vasai supply 25 kV power to local trains.[19]

Services

As of 27 March 2012, the Western line has approximately 1,290 local services running which carry about 3.55 million commuters every day.[20] These 1290 local services are operated using 80 trains.[21] Western Railways' EMUs are in 12 car and 15 car formations.[22]

The first 9-car service on the Western line ran on 2 March 1961. The 9-car service has since been phased out and the last service ran on the Western line on 20 November 2012.[23] However, 10 services (six on CR and four on WR) were still operated as 9-car even after that date as the track is shared by the Western line and the Harbour line. Harbour line platforms are too short to accommodate longer trains.[24]

In 2010, 15 car services between Churchgate and Virar were introduced.[25] They halt at all the stations between Borivli and Virar, and do not halt at any stations between Churchgate and Dadar. 15-coach trains are used in non-peak hours. They cannot be used in peak hours because the station platforms are too narrow to handle the increased foot traffic.[26]

No. of coachesNo. of Services
Harbour Locals110
121,150
1530
Total1,290[27]

Historical

The following table shows the number of services and daily ridership on the Western line throughout its history.[28]

YearNo. of ServicesDaily Ridership
18676No data
1990–918662.3 million
1991–929002.5 million
2000–019612.82 million
16 April 201313053.6 million

Facilities

Escalators

WR has escalators at 26 stations including some main stations like Borivali, Andheri, Dadar, Vasai Road and Virar for the common people. This helps the physically challenged and senior citizens.

FOBs and Subways

As of 29 April 2013, there are 102 foot over bridges (FOB)[29] and 8 subways on the Western line.[30]

Train Management System

The Train Management System (TMS) is used by both staff and passengers to monitor the location of trains. TMS enables commuters to know what trains will be arriving in the next 10 minutes. The system was implemented on the Western line in 2004.[31]

Wi-Fi Facility

Free Wi-Fi facility from the Indian Railways (RailWire) is provided at some stations of the Western Line like Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Khar Road, Andheri, Borivali, Bhayander, Vasai Road and Virar.

Fatalities

In 2011, 1,313 commuters died in accidents on the Western line, mainly via trespassing on ten particular stretches of track. Since mid-February 2012, Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel patrol the areas from 7am-11am and 5pm-10pm, the peak times for such incidents. Initially, they used posters in an education campaign and only cautioned offenders. They later escalated to arresting people.[32]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Is Mumbai Local Losing Popularity? Report Shows 20% Decline in Daily Commuters Using Suburban Trains". News18. 15 April 2023. Retrieved 30 September 2023.
  2. ↑ WR brings Dahanu closer to city today – Times Of India. Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Citizens inconvenienced by Western Railway mega block Archived 6 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2012-02-06). Retrieved on 2015-01-17.
  4. ↑ Churchgate-Dahanu train by month-end – Times Of India. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2013-03-19). Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  5. ↑ Churchgate-Dahanu trial run a success: WR – Mumbai – DNA Archived 21 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Dnaindia.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  6. ↑ Churchgate-Dahanu local all set to roll from Tuesday – Mumbai – DNA Archived 19 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Dnaindia.com (2013-04-15). Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  7. ↑ Bansal launches train services on Dahanu-Churchgat Archived 19 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Zeenews.india.com (2013-04-16). Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  8. ↑ Western Railway Archived 21 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Wr.indianrailways.gov.in. Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  9. ↑ Dahanu-Churchgate local flagged off, enjoy seamless travel – Mumbai – DNA Archived 20 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine. Dnaindia.com. Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  10. ↑ "HC raps Western Railway for delay in service to Dahanu – The Times of India". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018.
  11. ↑ "Andheri remains WR's busiest station, accounts for 9% of tickets sold". Daily News & Analysis. 8 April 2017. Archived from the original on 9 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  12. ↑ "First AC local train starts in Mumbai on the Borivali Churchgate route". Livemint. 25 December 2017. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  13. ↑ "Mumbai's AC local train: timings, fare and how to buy tickets". Conde Nast Traveller. Retrieved 14 January 2019.
  14. ↑ Timetable of the Western line between 5PM and 8PM Archived 28 January 2015 at the Wayback Machine
  15. ↑ "Direct current local to chug into sunset on Feb 4". Daily News and Analysis. 2 February 2012. Archived from the original on 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  16. ↑ "Citizens inconvenienced by Western Railway mega block – The Times of India". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 6 February 2012.
  17. ↑ Mumbai: 25,000 volts to 'shock' rooftop travellers – India – IBNLive Archived 1 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine
  18. ↑ "Western Railway sets stage for AC system – The Times of India". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012.
  19. ↑ "Western Railway claims overcrowding has reduced". The Times of India. Archived from the original on 11 April 2013.
  20. ↑ "Western Railway plans 36 more services from Tuesday – The Times of India". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018.
  21. ↑ WR commuters complain of poor ventilation – Hindustan Times
  22. ↑ Western Railway Archived 13 February 2015 at the Wayback Machine. Wr.indianrailways.gov.in (2013-03-29). Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  23. ↑ "From today, no 9-car trains in Western Railway suburban section". The Indian Express. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 30 November 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  24. ↑ "By January 2013, Western Railway to roll out 55 new services". The Times of India. 21 November 2012. Archived from the original on 3 January 2013. Retrieved 22 November 2012.
  25. ↑ city anchor: Central Railway starts 16 new services on main line – Indian Express
  26. ↑ Nair, Binoo (23 January 2012). "CR still in two minds over 15-car trains". Mumbai Mirror. Archived from the original on 16 September 2014. Retrieved 16 September 2014.
  27. ↑ "Services". Archived from the original on 13 February 2015.
  28. ↑ WR brings Dahanu closer to city today – Times Of India. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2013-04-16). Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  29. ↑ ​By June, escalators on 3 Western Railway stations – Times Of India. Articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com (2013-04-29). Retrieved on 2013-07-16.
  30. ↑ WR opens two FOBs at Charni Road, Andheri – Hindustan Times
  31. ↑ Mehta, Manthan K (26 July 2012). "Real-time tracking till Kalyan". The Times Of India.
  32. ↑ "Minor drop in deaths on tracks of Western Railways – The Times of India". The Times Of India. Archived from the original on 8 January 2018.
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