Suburban Railway system in Mumbai is perhaps the most complex, densely loaded and intensively utilized system in the world. Due to the magnitude of the project and the need for continuous assistance and involvement of the Government of Maharashtra, a separate corporation, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) was set up jointly between the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra. MRVC has made substantial improvements in the Mumbai suburban railway system since its inception, but it has to go a long way. This paper discusses the developments and the challenges of MRVC and a brief description of suburban systems of different Indian metro cities has also been presented.
Over 88% of the commuters in Mumbai travel by suburban trains or Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) buses. In other words, Mumbai's Suburban Rail System carries about 64 lakh (6.4 million) passengers per day. On the other, about 4700 passengers travel in a 9-car rake during peak hours, with a rated carrying capacity of only 1,7101 (Details in Box 1).
This has resulted in, what is known as, super dense crush load of 14-16 standing passengers per square metre of floor space!2 . Like other poor migrants in Mumbai, the people living in the railway slums could not find affordable housing when they came to the city and consequently were forced to make their homes wherever they could find space. Over the years, many of those who managed to find space to settle on government or privately owned land have gradually obtained informal tenure security as well as some basic services such as water, electricity and sanitation from the state government. This has resulted in the expansion of the city boundaries.The fast expansion of the city has increased the need for quick, safer and reliable transportation means running across the city.
Thus, the suburban railway system forms the backbone and is key to the development of Mumbai, the commercial capital of India. As a sequel to the Bombay Urban Transport Project (BUTP), which was completed in the year 1984, at a cost of about Rs. 390 million, the MMRDA (Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority) has formulated a multi modal project viz. Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) to bring about improvement in traffic and transportation situation in the MMR with the World Bank assistance3. Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), a joint venture of Indian railway and Government of Maharashtra, is set up for implementation of rail projects under MUTP. |
