With new tech, you may get more suburban trains during peak hours

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In good news for suburban local train commuters, the number of services during peak hours will be increased to 24, from the 18 available currently, as the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has started conducting the technical assessment for implementation of the Rs 5,928-crore Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) project.

The project will take four years to be implemented on all three suburban railway lines.

CBTC is a railway signalling system, operating on telecommunications between track equipment and the train, which results in better management of rail traffic.

The implementation of CBTC will reduce the headway of trains from the current three minutes to two-and-a-half minutes.

“CBTC enables the operation of trains at a headway of even 90 seconds. For the suburban railway corridor, a headway of two-and-a-half minutes will increase the number of trains substantially. Technical assessment for the project has started,” said a senior MRVC official.

CBTC is a part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-3A.

CBTC will be introduced on Central Railway (CR), between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kalyan station on the main line at a cost Rs 2,166 crore and between CSMT and Panvel at cost Rs 1,391 crore on the Harbour line.

On Western Railway (WR), the system will be introduced between Churchgate and Virar stations at a cost ofRs 2,371 crore.