Summer Special Tips for Local Train Travel

Feel cool in summer
How to beat the summer heat while travelling by trains:

Tip 1: Carry a bottle of water to manage the dehydration caused by the scorching heat + crowded train combo
Tip 2: Lookout for ladies selling oranges in the trains. Fairly cheap,safe (because of the peel) and effective (contributed by our site visitor Suranga Date)
Tip 3: Tie up your hair, you will feel and look cool in summers

Mega Block timings for Sunday March 25

CENTRAL LINE
Kalyan and Thane: Up fast line trains leaving Kalyan from 11.25 am to 3.43 pm will be diverted on Up slow line up to Thane station and will halt at all stations between Kalyan and Thane. The trains will then be re-diverted on Up fast line.

HARBOUR LINE
Down Harbour line services to Bandra/Andheri leaving Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus from 10.48 am to 4.05 pm and Up Harbour line services towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus leaving Bandra /Andheri from 10.40 am to 3.45 pm will remain suspended.

Up Harbour line services from Panvel / Belapur/Vashi towards CST leaving Kurla from 10.43 am to 3.58 pm will run via Main line between Kurla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. These trains will not halt at Currey Road and Chinchpokli stations.

Harbour line passengers for Bandra/ Andheri are permitted to travel via Main line and Western Railway from 10 am to 6 pm on 25/03/2012.


WESTERN RAILWAY
Up slow trains will run on Up fast line between Santacruz and Mumbai Central stations from 10.35 am to 3.35 pm. These trains will not halt at Matunga Road, Elphinstone Road, Lower Parel and Mahalaxmi. Passengers can travel in opposite direction for their destinations between Bandra and Mumbai Central stations.

All 12-car slow services will take double halt at Khar Road and Mahim Junction.
Level Crossing
Gate No.19 will remain closed for road traffic during block period. Some Up and Dn services will remain cancelled.

Rooftop travel kills 23-year old at Andheri

23-year old Fardeen Muraad Khan died on the spot as he climbed the rooftop of a Churchgate Virar local train on Sunday 18th March, 2012.

It must be noted that Western Railway had recently converted the power mode to a stronger 25000 Volts. This essentially means that anyone coming in contact with these powerful wires will result in horrific death.

I AGAIN URGE COMMUTERS TO STOP TRAVELLING ON ROOFTOPS OF TRAINS.

Also, if you see someone climb the rooftop, PLEASE stop the person as soon as possible and educate about the powerful wires.

On 16th March, a young boy climbed on the rooftop of a train at Elphinstone Road station and suffered 50% burns.

Sunday Mega Block Timings - March 18, 2012

Tomorrow, on Sunday, 18th March 2012, Railways will again operate a Mega Block... this time on ALL LINES. The mega block timings are as follows:

CENTRAL LINE
Thane-Kalyan:
Down line fast trains leaving Thane will run on slow line from 10.45 am to 2.20 pm. These trains will halt at all stations between Thane and Kalyan.

HARBOUR LINE:
Panvel-Nerul: All Up Harbour line services leaving Panvel from 10.43 am to 2.58 pm will remain suspended between Panvel and Nerul stations.
All Down Harbour line services leaving Nerul from 10.26 am to 3.06 pm will remain suspended between Nerul and Panvel stations.

TRANS-HARBOUR LINE:
Panvel-Thane: All Up Panvel-Thane services leaving Panvel from 11.05 am to 2.16 pm will remain suspended between Panvel and Nerul stations.
Thane-Panvel: All Down Thane-Panvel Transharbour line services leaving Nerul from 11.42 am to 2.48 pm will remain suspended between Nerul and Panvel stations.

Special local trains will run o­n CST – Nerul and Thane – Nerul sections during the mega block.

WESTERN LINE:
Borivali-Goregaon: Jumbo block between Borivali and Goregaon stations from 10.35 am to 3.35 pm o­n both Up & Down Slow lines. Slow trains will run on fast track between Goregaon and Borivali (Platform No. 3/4/5/6/6A) stations. 

Some Up & Down western line local trains will remain cancelled during the mega block period.

Information Courtesy : Public Relations Department, Central Railway & Western Railway

Railway Budget 2012 and Mumbai / Navi Mumbai

The Rail Budget presented by Dinesh Trivedi included several points for the Mumbai / Navi Mumbai area as follows:
  1. 75 new services to be introduced
  2. Aim to introduce AC services between Churchgate and Virar, CST and Kalyan.
  3. Elevated corridor from Churchgate to Virar in Mumbai being firmed up.  
  4. Seventy-five services to be added to suburban network.
  5. Suburban travel fare increased by 2 paise per km
  6. Conversion from DC to AC power supply completed in Mumbai's Western Railway corridor, conversion of DC to AC in Central Railway corridor to be completed in 2012-13.
  7. 12 car rakes in harbour lines - Mumbai / Navi Mumbai
  8. Elevated rail corridors from Churchgate to Virar - Mumbai
  9. Direct connectivity of Navi Mumbai to other parts of the country 
  10. Starting a coaching complex and terminal in Navi Mumbai.
  11. Add impetus to connectivity between eastern-western corridors of Mumbai and increase connectivity between Panvel, Vashi and JNPT at Nhava Sheva.
  12. Elevated Rail corridor plan in Mumbai
 You may also like to read:
  1. Railway budget 2012 Speech highlights - LIVE Blogging
  2. Dinesh Trivedi's Shaayari during Rail Budget Speech

  3. Rail Budget posts on this site (Railway budget highlights of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012)

  4. Mumbai Local's 17-Point Fun Wishlist for Railway Budget

     

Dinesh Trivedi's Shaayari during Rail Budget Speech

Shaayari read by Dinesh Trivedi during rail budget presentation:

Hath ki lakeeron se zindagi nahi banti
Hamaara bhi kuch hissa hai zindagi banaane ka


----

Fhaulaadi hain seene apne
Fhaulaadi hain baahein
Hum chaahein to paida kardein
Chattaanon mein raahein


----

Kandhey jhhuk gaye hain
Kamar lachak gayi hai
Bojhaa uthaa uthaa kar
Bechaari rail thak gayi hai
Rail gaadi ko nayi dawa chaahiye, 
Thode paise chaahiye
Aur aap sa humsafar chaahiye 

----

Manzil abhi door hai
Aur raasta mushkil

 You may also like to read:
  1. Railway budget 2012 Speech highlights - LIVE Blogging
  2. Railway Budget 2012 and Mumbai / Navi Mumbai

  3. Rail Budget posts on this site (Railway budget highlights of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012)

  4. Mumbai Local's 17-Point Fun Wishlist for Railway Budget

Railway budget 2012 Speech highlights - LIVE Blogging

Dinesh Trivedi's Railway Budget 2012 Speech was rather interesting with poetry and interesting proposals.
Focus of this year's rail budget:
  • Safety
  • Consolidation
  • Recongestion and capacity management
  • Modernization
  • Bring down operation ratio


Highlights of Railway Budget 2012-13 (Rs 2.5 Lakh Crore Budget):
  1. Independent railway safety authority - Rs 16842 crore plan
  2. Eliminate level crossings in next 5 years
  3. Railways must attract 10% government infrastructure spending
  4. Plan to modernise 19000 km; Rs 6467 crore on track modernisation
  5. 800 M Gauge conversion target for this year 
  6. Propose to complete 45 new projects
  7. New tracks in tribal areas
  8. New autocars to be introduced
  9. Four new rail coach factories in Kerala
  10. Locomotive factory at Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh
  11. 2 new manufacturing units in Kutch area in Gujarat
  12. 1500 EMU coaches added
  13. SMS and internet alerts of train status, in the next 18 months
  14. Disaster management advanced machinery proposed. Training centres in Bengaluru, Kharagpur and Lucknow.
  15. Propose to set up a specialised housekeeping body to improve standard of hygiene and cleanliness in trains and station... in the next 6 months.
  16. Specially designed coaches for differently-abled persons.
  17. Engage reputed professional agencies to handle catering. A pilot project to be initiated.
  18. Green toilets like bio toilets to be installed in 2500 coaches.


  19. Rae Bareily coach factory is ready
  20. Rail Khel Ratna award proposed for performers in sports... world class training to be provided 
  21. For pilgrimages, Guru Parikrama special train - Amritsar-Patna-Nanded route 
  22. 75 new express trains, 21 new passenger trains to be introduced
  23. 50 per cent concession in fare in AC classes to anaemia and sickle cell disease patients.

     
  24. Allocation of Rs 1112 crores for amenities
  25. Need Rs 5 Lakh crores from PM's Rail Scheme
  26. Propose electrification of 6500 km
  27. Rajdhani travel for Arjuna Award winners
  28. Increase in passenger fare due to rise in prices in everything; fare hasn't been hiked in 8 years. Increase in fares in Express Trains: Second Class - 2 paise per km, AC 3 tier and AC Chair Car- 10 paise per km, AC 2 tier - 15 paise per km, AC First Class - 30 paisa per km
  29. Independent Railway Tariff Regulatory Authority

    proposed
  30. Suburban travel fare increased by 2 paise per km
  31. Rounding off of fares to avoid inconvenience. Fare of Rs 11 will become Rs 10. 
  32. Railways will require Rs 14 lakh crore over next 10 years.
  33. Increase in train speeds to 160 kmph considered which can reduce travel time from New Delhi to Kolkata by 3 hours.
  34. Platform ticket prices increased to Rs 5.
RAIL BUDGET AND MUMBAI / NAVI MUMBAI
  1. 75 new services to be introduced
  2. Aim to introduce AC services between Churchgate and Virar, CST and Kalyan.
  3. Elevated corridor from Churchgate to Virar in Mumbai being firmed up.

     
  4. Seventy-five services to be added to suburban network.
  5. Suburban travel fare increased by 2 paise per km
  6. Conversion from DC to AC power supply completed in Mumbai's Western Railway corridor, conversion of DC to AC in Central Railway corridor to be completed in 2012-13.
  7. 12 car rakes in harbour lines - Mumbai / Navi Mumbai
  8. Elevated rail corridors from Churchgate to Virar - Mumbai
  9. Direct connectivity of Navi Mumbai to other parts of the country 
  10. Starting a coaching complex and terminal in Navi Mumbai.
  11. Add impetus to connectivity between eastern-western corridors of Mumbai and increase connectivity between Panvel, Vashi and JNPT at Nhava Sheva.
  12. Elevated Rail corridor plan in Mumbai

     You may also like to read:
    1. Dinesh Trivedi's Shaayari during Rail Budget Speech

    2. Rail Budget posts on this site (Railway budget highlights of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012)

    3. Mumbai Local's 17-Point Fun Wishlist for Railway Budget



    Mumbai Local's 17-Point Fun Wishlist for Railway Budget

    Need Superheroes to reach the other side!

    Railway budget 2012-2013 will be presented on 14th March 2012 (rail budget schedule). We will probably watch it live / read the highlights / tweet about it. And then we will praise / curse it for a couple of days only to forget all about it by the next week.

    So, how about creating a Mumbai Local's Fun Wishlist for Rail Budget... sochne mein kya jaata hai:
    1. Superman and Spiderman services: For those who prefer crossing tracks over using FOBs... Reach-The-Other-Side services at a premium of course!
    2. Meru Trains, Mega Trains, Easy Trains... (Hire a train... get a pick-up and drop at your doorstep).
    3. Relispray Exits: Special exit doors for those who injured their shoulders, feet, heads, etc. in the dhakka-mukki.
    4. Sleeper compartments: People who love to sleep need not use other commuters' shoulders as pillows!
    5. Half-priced season tickets for fourth-seat occupants.
    6. Haath dikhao, train roko: Running late for work and you might miss the train? Just wave to make it stop for you!
    7. 70% discount for standees.
    8. Air-conditioned local trains with aroma diffusers.
    9. Ban on pointed heels.
    10. Fine on Deodorant-less travel.
    11. Web check-ins: For guaranteed window seats! (idea taken from a Twitter follower of this site)
    12. Heavy fine for those who litter: Make them pick litter for a month.
    13. Separate compartment for shoppers and vendors: Love to shop while travelling? Board this compartment.
    14. Chillam-Chilli zone: Sound-proof areas in compartments where the arguing men and women can proceed with their jhagdaas!
    15. Railway announcement text indicators: Scrolling text transcripts of the announcements they make at railway stations... kuch toh samjhegaa!
    16. Fixed table-chair arrangement for college girls who want to complete their journals while travelling.
    17. Expandable compartments: Compartments will automatically expand based on the commuter inflow.
    Like it? Feel free to add to the list / share it with fellow commuters / friends.
    How about joining us on Facebook / Twitter.

    Addition to the list by Mumbaikars:
    1. Automatic Beep censor system in compartments as a replacement for abuses. (contributed by Deepa Nair)
     You may also like to read:
    1. Railway budget 2012 Speech highlights - LIVE Blogging
    2. Dinesh Trivedi's Shaayari during Rail Budget Speech

    3. Rail Budget posts on this site (Railway budget highlights of 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012)

    4. Railway Budget 2012 and Mumbai / Navi Mumbai