About 500 to 550 trains on the Central Railway (CR) were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes for the fifth day in a row

About 500 to 550 trains on the Central Railway (CR) were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes for the fifth day in a row

Mumbai: About 500 to 550 trains on the Central Railway (CR) were delayed by 15 to 20 minutes for the fifth day in a row, due to the speed restrictions laid by the conversion from direct current (DC) to alternating current (AC) from CST to Kalyan. The restrictions were supposed to be lifted by Tuesday or Wednesday.

Contrary to CR officials’ information that the restrictions have been put at only three locations, i.e, Byculla viaduct, Hancock rail overbridge at Sandhurst and Mumbra tunnel, an additional block of 30 kmph has been operated at another location at Byculla, two locations at Parel and one at Ghatkopar. A CR official, on the condition of anonymity, revealed that this has been going on since the conversion on Sunday night.

The official said, “On Sunday evening we had been promised that these restrictions would go on for a maximum of two to three days, but it seems after the conversion no one, including the Railway Board, is concerned about what is happening to the trains’ schedule. Around 500 to 550 trains are late every day with the maximum effect felt during morning and evening peak hours.”

According to sources, top CR officials are throwing a ‘conversion bash’ at the plush railway officers’ colony at Nirmal Park, Colaba.

Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) member Subhash Gupta said, “I am not taking away from the fact that the CR has achieved a big feat, but the celebrations should stop after they realised that punctuality has been hit so badly. Commuters are suffering for five days and there seems to be nothing being done about it.”