The long-pending demand of separating Mumbai’s suburban railways from the Indian Railways could soon be a reality. This would make it financially independent, so that it does not have to depend on the centre for the smallest of decisions.
Last week, many officials were taken by surprise after railway minister Mamata Banerjee made Kolkatta Metro into a separate body, making it the 17th railway zone of the railways.
But few know that this is in line with the policy document formulated by her proposing segregation of suburban railways, including those in Mumbai, Kolkatta and Chennai. The proposals are a part of the white paper on Indian Railways that she has tabled in the Parliament.
Officials said the separate body as proposed by Banerjee would solve the Mumbai suburban railways’ age-old problems as the main obstacle in improvement of suburban rail services has been slow decisions and execution. “Kolkatta has been converted and now Mumbai and Chennai are on the radar,” a senior official said.
Among the other options discussed to improve the efficiency of the suburban railways, Banerjee talks of investment by local municipal bodies and state government by building infrastructure and development of suburban rail network.
A senior railway official said that this would help Mumbai in several ways. The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is a separate entity today but it does not have any powers. It plays the role of a co-ordinator for World Bank project funding and not any aspect of running trains.
“Such bodies can be given more power, for better efficiency. Either it could be the existing MRVC or a Special Purpose Vehicle (SPV), which could run the Mumbai suburban railway,” he added.
Though local officials were tight-lipped on the proposal, most of them welcomed it. “I think Mamataji is going in the right direction. A separate unit for suburban railway would mean quick planning and implementation of projects and new services. It would mean life being easier for the commuters as their demands could be understood properly at the local level and could be catered to effectively,” a senior official said.
