A passengers’ body has filed a public interest litigation in the Bombay high court demanding that a train used by most of its members be shifted to the CST from the Kurla terminus.
“Is the Kurla terminus a station? It is isolated and does not have proper infrastructure. The Rajya Rani Express that the railways kicked off last month between Manmad and Mumbai was initially promised to be started from Mumbai CST. But now, local officials have taken a decision to let depart from Kurla instead,” said petitioner Bipin Gandhi, who regularly takes the train.
The commuters mostly comprise office-goers heading to the city for work, he said. “Why would anyone who wants to go to Mantralaya or any office in south Mumbai get down in the middle of nowhere, at Kurla? There is no proper connectivity from Kurla. It is as bad as not having a train at all.”
The Superfast Rajya Rani Express service, running between Manmad and Kurla, was started on March 3. It leaves the Kurla terminus at 7pm and arrives at Manmad at 11.25pm the same day. On its return trip, the train leaves Manmad at 5.25am daily and arrives at Kurla at 9.50am.
On its way to Manmad, the train, which comprises eight second-class chair cars, one AC chair car, six general second-class bogies and two general second-class-cum-guard’s brake vans, halts at Kalyan, Kasara, Igatpuri, Devlali and Nashik Road.
Railway officials said they would have to examine the case before commenting on the issue, but added that the ministry of railways has directed that the train also be halted at the Thane station on an experimental basis for six months, with effect from May 15.
Gandhi asked that the Central Railway be made to stick to CST as the point of departure and arrival, as had been announced during the presentation of the railway budget in March.
