It remains to be seen whether the increased speed would be able to cut down on its travel time, as seven new halts will be introduced from November 1
Even though the Western Railway plans to increase the speed of the air-conditioned local train from 70 kmph to 90 kmph, it seems that nothing much would change as far as its running time is concerned, as seven new halts would be introduced on its route from November 1.
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The railways had written to the Commissioner of Railway Safety seeking his permission regarding increasing the speed of the AC train between Mumbai Central and Borivli, as the tracks, according to them, are fit enough to handle higher speed.
The AC local services were started on December 25, 2017. File Pics
Confirming the development, a senior railway official said, "The AC train will now halt at seven more stations, which includes Marine Lines, Charni Road, Grant Road, Dahisar, Mira Road, Naigaon and Nalasopara."
Speaking on condition of anonymity, a senior railway official said, "Increasing the speed of the train is a part of the process of improving its punctuality. This is because, at every halt, the train has to wait for a longer period of time than a normal local train due to the extra 50 seconds that the automatic doors take to open and close. The Western Railway is also working on enhancing the movement of the doors."
More passengers on board
The AC local train was introduced on Western Railway's suburban route on December 25, 2017. While it has a sitting capacity of 1,028 passengers, it can accommodate a total of 5,964 people.
With two vestibuled coaches, the AC local's capacity is three times more than a regular 12-coach local train. According to railway officials, the vestibuled coaches can accommodate more passengers than the regular train, which has a capacity to hold 1,522 passengers.
Also Read: AC Train Commuters Inconvenienced By Constant Leaking In Compartment
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