Central Railway: Mahul pumping station can solve to Sion-Kurla flooding

SK Jain

After two years in Mumbai, Central Railway Mumbai's outgoing Divisional Railway Manager SK Jain said that the flooding problem around Sion-Kurla stretch can be permanently fixed by having a pumping station at Mahul creek and that he has taken up the issue with the BMC. Credited with building 52 foot-over bridges, running Rajdhani Express and correcting the harbour line train wheel problem, Jain's two-year-term has been one of the most challenging ones with two consecutive rail ministers from Mumbai and his performance minutely monitored.

He said he had just finished the groundwork preparation for running the Central Railway Mumbai's first AC local train soon that will arrive next month in December 2019.

"There was pressure, but it was equally challenging as an outsider like me to come, survive and prove things. I have been looking at long-term, holistic solutions instead of piecemeal ones and hence certain things took time, but things have moved ahead," he told Mid-Day.

Listing his achievements, he said that there were many firsts during his time like running the new Rajdhani Express with a new dual loco arrangement that was subsequently adopted on other railways, running of track machine trains in the Ghats, fixing the harbour line train wheels that cut down failures and building new footbridges besides cleanliness.

"I took over just after the Elphinstone stampede and there was a huge challenge of building footbridges. We got a bridge built at Masjid Bunder in 33 days and another one at LTT in 77 days and totally have built 52 bridges of the planned 74. This is in addition to the lifts and escalators," he said.

Explaining the harbour line local trains' wheel problem, Jain said that the line has too many curves which leads to the flanges of trains' wheels getting out of shape. "This was a recurring problem and we developed a facility on the harbour line carshed to fix it then and there, leading to 35 pc less detention of trains," he said, adding that this does not concern commuters directly, but helps us improve service punctuality.

Speaking on failing punctuality and other issues like monsoon flooding, Jain said being the captain of the ship, he took complete responsibility and blame for every decision.

Explaining that he had worked out permanent solutions for Matheran Railway by building a bulb line at Aman Lodge, he said the issue was under process of state government as it required some land and that if this line was put in place, Matheran railway would not have to be shut between Matheran and Aman Lodge ever, even in the monsoon. He said to find a permanent solution to the issue of tunnels and landslides in the Thakurwadi-Monkey Hill section between Mumbai and Pune that had been badly affected, the Konkan Railway had been given its consultancy to use its expertise.

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