There is every possibility that the Central Railway will divert the AC trains running to Navi Mumbai on CSMT-Panvel and CSMT-Goregaon Harbour line onto the Main line between CSMT-Kalyan section. This is mainly because of poor patronage on the Harbour line that has catered 37180 passengers with daily average of only 522 passengers which forms a mere 3.50 percent of total passengers travelling in the AC trains on all lines. The CR, for the first time, is likely to run a few AC train services on Sundays and holidays as well.
On Monday, sources said that this discussion did take place where the Central Railway authorities intend to shift the 8 AC local services being operated on the Harbour line between the 53 kms long route of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Panvel. Coincidentally the first suburban local train to be introduced on the Harbour line connecting Mumbai with Navi Mumbai happened on May 9, back in 1992.
Senior officials from CR confirmed and stated that they are certainly looking at making this shift from Harbour line to Main line on which they are operating on the CSMT-Kalyan/Badlapur/Titwala corridor. "After much deliberation we are now seriously contemplating diverting the 8 AC services on CSMT - Panvel harbour line to the Main line. We expect it to happen anytime during this week," said a CR official.
At present there are 5 AC rakes of which 4 are in service and one is kept on stand-by. These 4 rakes operate 60 services on a daily basis whereby 44 of them are on the Main line and 16 services on Harbour line. The CR is running 3 AC rakes completing 44 services on Main Line and utilizing one AC rake to operate 16 services on the Harbour line.
"We are seeing tremendous response on the Main line as compared to the Harbour line. And so we have concluded that the Main line needs more AC services to fill the gap and thus intend to shift AC train services from Harbour line," said another CR official. "This would also open a window to think of operating a few AC train services on Sundays and Public Holidays as well."
According to figures collated by the Central Railway authorities, in April the average number of total passengers per day was 19761. Out of this, there were 17473 passengers on the Main line and 2288 on the Harbour line. Between May 1-8, the average number of total passengers per day was 28141 of which there were 24842 using the Main line and Harbour line saw sparse crowds of 3299 passengers. Since February 19, the Main and Harbour lines on CR have carried 1056091 passengers of which only 37180 travelled on the Harbour line.
