CR to launch 15 new services to ease Kalyan-Kasara traffic mess

1,660 total number of current services on the Central line. File pic

In a move that is expected to bring cheer to countless commuters, the Central Railway (CR) has decided to add 15 train services on the Kalyan-Karjat/Kasara route. The decision comes in the wake of a series of protests and rail rokos in areas beyond Kalyan.

Sources, however, said, the CR does not have sufficient space to operate trains on the Kalyan-CST route as of now and around 5-6 new tracks need to be installed. A CR official said, "The new timetable will be applicable from May, after the new services are adjusted with the existing ones. The CST-Thane route is perennially choked, so there's little scope to add more services on that route. We will operate these new services from Kalyan to further north to accommodate commuters from Diva and Mumbra. Commuters traveling north from Kalyan will face less delays once these new services begin."

In November 2016, the CR increased 37 services, of which 13 were on the Thane-Vashi Trans-Harbour route, 11 on the CST-Panvel Harbour line and 13 between the Kalyan-Karjat/Kasara stretch. This took the total number of services to 1,660.

According to sources, CR officials are waiting for the addition of 5-6 lines of the CST-Kurla stretch to segregate long distance trains from the suburban section. "The move will open more space for adding suburban local trains on the CST-Thane route. At present new lines are there on Kurla LTT-Thane stretch and Diva-Kalyan."