Central Railway to lift speed limits at 3 places, trains expected to be more punctual
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With Central Railway (CR) commuters fuming over train delays, officials have decided to remove speed restrictions at Vidyavihar, Thane and Dombivli.
Trains at Thane currently move at 30 kmph, as the speed is regulated by clamping magnets fixed on the rails. According to officials, these magnets were put in place back in 2012 as motormen had a tendency to overspeed while crossing the neutral section, where the switch from direct current to alternating current took place.
“These magnets were attached around 700 metres before the neutral section and the train would cross the entire patch at a restricted speed,” an official said.
At Vidyavihar the speed is restricted to 65 kmph owing to a diamond crossover, where a train moving on the up slow line crosses over to an up fast line. Railway officials are now planning to remove this crossover and instead put in place two simpler ones. With the diamond crossover gone, trains will be in a position to ply at the sanctioned speed of 105 kmph.
At Dombivli trains are restricted to 15 kmph because the tracks were laid out at a steep curve of eight-and-half degrees. To ease out the curve, officials will soon undertake yard remodelling.
The signals at Dombivli and Vidyavihar will also be moved, which will considerably expedite train movement. An official said the Commissioner of Railway Safety has already been notified to carry out the work.
“We are working to remove these speed restrictions to improve punctuality. We are also expediting the closure of level crossing gates at Kalwa, Ambivali and Diva,” said Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of Central Railway.
“We have also deployedRPF personnel to ensure train movements are not affected, especially during the peak hours.”
“With the removal of these three speed restrictions, the headway of each train will improve by three minutes. The overall punctuality will also improve,” said SK Jain, divisional manager, Central Railway.
Trains at Thane currently move at 30 kmph, as the speed is regulated by clamping magnets fixed on the rails. According to officials, these magnets were put in place back in 2012 as motormen had a tendency to overspeed while crossing the neutral section, where the switch from direct current to alternating current took place.
“These magnets were attached around 700 metres before the neutral section and the train would cross the entire patch at a restricted speed,” an official said.
After the section was converted to alternating current, the magnets became redundant, but they continued to hamper train movement. They affected both up (towards CSMT) and down (towards Kalyan) slow lines and the down fast line.
At Vidyavihar the speed is restricted to 65 kmph owing to a diamond crossover, where a train moving on the up slow line crosses over to an up fast line. Railway officials are now planning to remove this crossover and instead put in place two simpler ones. With the diamond crossover gone, trains will be in a position to ply at the sanctioned speed of 105 kmph.
At Dombivli trains are restricted to 15 kmph because the tracks were laid out at a steep curve of eight-and-half degrees. To ease out the curve, officials will soon undertake yard remodelling.
The signals at Dombivli and Vidyavihar will also be moved, which will considerably expedite train movement. An official said the Commissioner of Railway Safety has already been notified to carry out the work.
“We are working to remove these speed restrictions to improve punctuality. We are also expediting the closure of level crossing gates at Kalwa, Ambivali and Diva,” said Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of Central Railway.
“We have also deployed
“With the removal of these three speed restrictions, the headway of each train will improve by three minutes. The overall punctuality will also improve,” said SK Jain, divisional manager, Central Railway.
