MUMBAI: The railways has decided to introduce 15-car local trains on the slow track between Andheri and Virar to increase the carrying capacity per train to serve some of Mumbai’s densest and fastest-growing suburbs. At present, the Western Railway (WR) slow corridor has 12-car trains, and longer locals are run only on the fast corridor.“The decision has been taken looking at overcrowding in the extended suburbs; 15-car locals will help prevent casualties because of commuters falling of trains between Virar and Andheri,” said a WR official. Sample this: The population of Vasai-Virar was tabulated at 12.2 lakh by Census 2011, up from 6.9 lakh as per Census 2001. This is an increase of 77% in just 10 years. Again, Mira-Bhayander’s population kept increasing at a rapid rate of 4.5% between 2001 and 2011, to reach 8.1 lakh.Work on the project is set to begin before monsoon, an official said. WR has already finalised the contractor. “The work includes extending the length of platforms, besides shifting of signal poles and crossovers (spots where trains change tracks). We expect the work to be completed within two years,” said WR’s divisional railway manager Mukul Jain The new services will be introduced in such a way that they won’t do injustice to those traveling south of Andheri, an official said. Fifteen-car services are not possible south of Andheri, towards Churchgate, because of a lack of space to increase platform lengths, especially after Mumbai Central. If 15-car services are run south of Andheri on the slow corridor, WR will have to provide double halts, which is not operationally feasible as that would result in a decrease of service frequency.

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