Work on five bridges and one flyover will get you to CST seven minutes faster
Work on five bridges and one flyover will get you to CST seven minutes faster
The Central Railway will demolish and reconstruct five Road Over Bridges and a flyover that will result in trains travelling at an increased speed.
According to an official from CR's construction department, "Once we reconstruct these bridges, we hope to start using the Alternate Current (AC) method that will improve the train speed to 100 kmph from the current speed of 85 kmph."
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Carnac Bridge |
Hancock Bridge |
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Garden Bridge |
Currey Road Bridge |
S Mudgerikar, chief public relation officer, CR, said the move is being contemplated as a part of its ongoing project of converting the power lines from Direct Current (DC) to AC. "The average height between the track and the structure above it for an AC line is 6.2 metres. At present, the height is between 4.7 and 4.9 metres.
We need to raise the height and hence, we have asked permission from the BMC to demolish these bridges. This will help enhance the efficiency of the train service," said Mudgerikar.
u00a0The four bridges marked by the CR are Carnac Bridge (at Carnac Bunder), Hancock Bridge (in Mazgaon), Garden Bridge (between Byculla and Chinchpokli) and Currey Road Bridge (at Currey Road) all over 100 years old. An official from the Central Railway said Carol Bridge near Elphinstone Road and one more bridge are also under consideration for demolition. A flyover on the Harbour Line may also be demolished.u00a0
A construction department official said, "Work on the project will start next year.u00a0 Officials from CR said that the demolition work will not affect rail services, though road services will definitely be disrupted. Alternate routes will be chartered."
Open to options
P K Sharma, chief administration officer (construction), CR, said, "We are exploring other alternatives too. Our plan is to assign the work to a consultant who will decide which bridge needs to be demolished and how to do go about it. If they come up with a way to raise the height of the bridge without dismantling the super structure, we will go for it."
The DC to AC work between Kalyan and Kasara has been completed while lines between Kalyan and Karjat will be completed by the end of this year. The DC to AC conversion work between Kalyan and CST will start next year.
Benefits of the project>>The project will ensure that trains run at 25,000 volts AC instead of 1,500 volts DC
>>The conversion from DC to AC will mean that the trains will run at a speed of 100 kmph from the present 70 to 80 kmph
A matter of numbersCarnac, Hancock, Garden and Currey Road bridges, all over 100 years old, to be reconstructed. Work will commence post-monsoon.
Progress report
The DC into AC work between Kalyan and Kasara has been completed while lines between Kalyan and Karjat will be completed by the end of this year. The DC to AC conversion work between Kalyan and CST will start next year.
Rs 6-7 cr
Budget for reconstruction of each bridge
2-3 years
Time needed for the completion of the project
