While the population of Mumbai has grown only three times since 1951, there has been a ten-fold increase in Greater Mumbai and twenty eight-fold increase in the suburbs. The demographic growth of the city has compelled the Central and Western Railways to squeeze in 59 lakh commuters daily in suburban trains, in the Mumbai Suburban Rail System. The brunt is borne during the morning and evening peak hours when, as against a carrying capacity of 1760 commuters per train, 4500 commuters are packed in a train, severely straining both the commuters and the assets.

    There are three suburban rail lines in Mumbai - Central, Western and Harbour- that link the central business districts of Bombay Island with the suburban areas in the north of the city. The Central line from Victoria Terminus (VT) to Thane has about 8,000 families living alongside the track; the Western line from Churchgate to Dahisar has about 3000 slum families and the Harbour line from V.T. to Mankhurd around 13,000. Suburban railway services on 300 km of electrified broad gauge are provided by the two zones of Indian Railways with their headquarters in Mumbai, the Western Railway (from Churchgate to Dahanu Road) and the Central Railway (from Chhatrapathi Shivaji Terminus Mumbai to Karjat, Kasara, Panvel and Khopoli). Between them, the two railway systems transport 5.9 million passengers per day on 1942 daily Electrical Multiple Units (EMU) services. Of these, 326 services are at present run with 12-car rakes and the rest with 9-car rakes. It is proposed to increase the number of the12-car services in a phased manner.

    In 1988-90, a study by the Government of Maharashtra (GOM) with World Bank assistance recommended major investments both in the suburban rail and the road systems for effectively dealing with the urban transportation issues, with active participation of the Ministry of Railways. This led to the conceptualisation of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). A decision to participate in the implementation of the rail components of MUTP on a 50:50 basis between IR and GOM was taken in a meeting between the Chief Minister of Maharashtra and the Railways Minister in December 1993. Subsequently, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) was set up as a joint venture between the Indian Railways and the Government of Maharashtra.

    The MRVC is a Government Company registered under the Company’s Act of 1956 with equity participation in the ratio 51:49 between the Indian Railways and the Government of Maharashtra. Its main objectives are : execution of project identified under MUTP as also other rail projects in the Mumbai region; commercial utilisation of the Railway’s land and air space; and coordination between the Central and Western Railways and the Government of Maharashtra and other related agencies for evolving and executing suitable plans for the development of the Mumbai Suburban Rail System.

    It may be recalled here that the first electrification on Indian Railways between Boribunder (now Mumbai CST) and Kurla, was on the harbour branch of the suburban system. It was in 1925 and at that time the technology was 1500 volt direct current (1.5 KVDC) system. However, later on when the Railway electrification programme was taken up throughout the country during the second Five Year Plan it was done on the 25000 volt AC (25 KV AC 50 HZ). Thus the old section of the Mumbai suburban operates on the 1.5 KV DC system while the railway tracks surrounding the Mumbai suburbs, which were electrified later, operate on the new AC system.

    To overcome the problem, dual voltage kits are being installed for greater connectivity. Under the MUTP project, dual voltage kits for retrofitment/remanufacturing of 50 EMU rakes are being procured under World Bank funding. In addition, procurement of 123 rakes against various works of MUTP has been planned in two phases. The total EMU rake requirement in Mumbai area is estimated to be 352 rakes (95 retrofitment + 102 replacement +155 additional). An order of 38 rakes for motor coaches and driving trailer coaches have been placed with M/s. GEC Alstom and 62 sets on M/s BHEL. Supply has already started and conversion work is in progress.

    An important feature of the MUTP is the rehabilitation of families living along the tracks for more than two decades. In some cases, their huts are hardly a metre away from the tracks and the passing trains. This caused many safety hazards not only for inhabitants and their children but also affected the speed of the trains as the Commissioner of Railway Safety has stipulated a maximum speed of 15 kms per hour while passing through these densely inhabited sections. The drivers of these trains are also under severe psychological pressure as any untoward happening may cause not only mass upsurge but also bodily assaults.

    To deal with the problem, a Task Force has been set up by the Government of Maharashtra which has undertaken the job of clearing the encroachments along the tracks and rehabilitating the displaced persons. A number of NGOs including the Railway Slum Dwellers Federation are lending a helping hand in this task.

    As a result the safety zones (30 feet on either side of the tracks) of the 3 rail corridors in Mumbai have been cleared of all slums. More than 10000 families have been resettled, about 40 per cent in permanent and the rest in transit accommodation, without using force.