A Comparison of

Mumbai Suburban Local

viz a viz
International Metro Rapid Rail Transit System.
U-Bahn Metro, Germany

Mumbai Suburban Railway

See the similarities?

Then, what are the differences?
Would like to know, Please read further ..
1. Some brief facts about Mumbai City, its People & the
Local Trains.
2. Comparison of Mumbai Local & International Metro
Rapid Rail Transit System:
2.1
Similarities.
2.2
A Major Difference.
2.3
Some Other Differences.
3. Conclusion.
1. Some brief facts about Mumbai City, its People & the Local
Trains.
Mumbai City:
Mumbai is a beautiful city comprising of seven islands.
Over a span of five centuries, these seven islands have been
gradually physically united through land reclamation projects
- to form the area of the present day modern city of Mumbai.

Mumbai is ranked as a number one city of India, the fourth

biggest city in the world and it is the entertainment and the
financial capital of India.
Mumbai's People:
Every city is made up of human beings who live in it, and this
beautiful city of Mumbai is house to 1.84 crore (18.4 million)
Mumbaikars, comprising of Marathis, Gujaratis, Konkanis,
Muslims, Christians, Jews, Parsis, Buddhists, Sikhs and Jains,
making Mumbai truly a melting pot of a wide variety of
cultures.

Mumbai's Local:
May I request you to please leave reading this page for the
moment & check out by typing the keyword "People of
Mumbai" in the Google search engine, and see the first few
image reflection of Mumbai... hmmm...? Saw the Google
result............? Well... that is the reflection of Mumbai city on
Google ... People hanging on to the edges of doors & windows
of overcrowded trains...
Now you know what Mumbai Local Trains mean to the city! Yes,
nearly 7,000,000 (7 million) Mumbaikars use Local Trains daily
for commuting within the city. It is the most important mode of
transport within the city, it is the lifeline of Mumbai, and in fact
there must be hardly anyone in this financial capital of India,
who has not had to use Local Trains for commuting within the
city, at some point in time or other.

2. Comparison of Mumbai Local & a Latest International

Metro Rapid Rail Transit System:
So how does this lifeline of Mumbai, the financial capital
of

India

compare

to

&

differ

International Metro across the World?

from

any

latest

2.1

SIMILARITIES:

We all know, that in last one century there has been a huge
technological

advancement,

and

as

result

things

have

undergone a revolutionary sea change, but having said that, you

will be surprised to know that the fundamental technology and
the basic infrastructure on which a railway mode of transport is
implemented across the world remains just the same.

Yes, you have read it right, the key technology and the basic
infrastructure, on which a railway operates, remains just the
same across the world!
Just have a look at the following comparison table:
Any Latest International
Metro Rapid Rail Transit

Mumbai Suburban Local

System
Tracks:
1.

Two

Parallel

Steel

Rails

Dicto.

(Tracks)
Sleepers:
2.

Tied

together

with

Timber

Dicto.

(Wood) or Concrete known as

Sleepers.
Small Stone Pieces:
Crushed stone pieces spread
3.

between

&

besides

tracks,

mainly

to

keep

down

vegetation

that

Dicto.

might

interfere with tracks, etc.

4.

Power:

Dicto.

Draws power from overhead

wires.
Trains:
5.

Trains

running

on

metal

Dicto.

wheels.
(known as Rolling Stock)
6.

Maximum Speed:

Dicto.

80 to 100 km per hour.

6.1. International Metro Railways running only at 80 to 100
km per hour?
That is because in any Metro City across the world, the typical
distance between two stations within the city is around 1 to 2
km. and the practical maximum speed that can be achieved in
such a short distance is 80 /100 km ph,
Please note that trains running at 300 / 600 km ph are suitable
for inter city traveling & not intra city traveling.
Example of:
Inter city Mumbai Delhi (between two States).
Intra city Churchgate Virar (within the Mumbai city).
2.2 A MAJOR DIFFERENCE:
As evident from the above comparison table, the Mumbai Suburban
Local has the complete fundamental infrastructure in place which
is equivalent to any latest Metro Rapid Rail Transit System across
the world!
But then if you have traveled in a Mumbai Local, have you ever wondered why trains
do not run at consistent speed between two stations? Why trains more often than not,
slow down or stop between two stations?
Whereas, internationally it is a standard that once a train starts from a
particular station, it runs at a consistent speed and stops only at the next station!
Why is that so?

 Because there is one area where Mumbai Suburban Railway has

not updated itself,
One single most area where technology has made a significant
advancement and a huge contribution in the way a modern
International Metro Rapid Rail Transit System functions,
One area where technology has gone from traditional wired
method to wireless method of communication (similar to
advancement in telephones from wired landlines to wireless
mobile phones & wired networking to Wi-Fi networking),
One area where technology can help utilize the huge existing
Mumbai Suburban Railway infrastructure and system provisions
in the best possible & the most optimal way,
One area where technological advancement can increase the
passenger carrying capacity by almost 50%, which is equivalent
to adding two elevated tracks not only to Churchgate Virar
Corridor (as proposed recently) but also to the railway corridors
of CSTM Kalyan, Kalyan Kasara, Kalyan Karjat, CSTM
Vashi & Vashi Panvel i.e. virtually add two tracks to the entire
network of Mumbai Suburban Railway comprising of Western,
Central & Harbor Lines.
An area where the cost of incorporating this huge technological
advancement for the benefit of millions of Mumbaikars, is
merely around 5 to 10% of the cost of laying down a new Metro
Rapid Rail Transit System!
A technological advancement which can be implemented in a
very short turnaround time of just 3 to 4 yrs years for the entire
Mumbai Suburban Railway, depending upon the terms of
reference given to the implementing agency.
And this fundamental technological difference is?
Latest International
Metro Rapid Rail Transit

Mumbai Suburban Local

System
Radio Transmission based
Automatic Train Control (ATC)
Signaling.
(latest wireless communication)

Colour Light based Signaling

system besides the Railway
Tracks,
(Red, Yellow, Green).

(traditional wired
communication)

Following are Some of the Many

Advantages of the above mentioned ATC Signaling system
Frequency of Trains:

Frequency of Trains:

1.5 minutes.

Approx. 3 min.

Train Time Table Accuracy:

Such accuracy is not possible.
Within 10 seconds.
No Bunching up of Trains:

Trains can get bunched:

Advanced TMS system gives a Results in unequal distribution of

global picture of all the trains on a passengers and subsequent reduction
particular route which can avoid of passenger throughput.
bunching of trains.
(For

Example:

centralized

It

can

information

have

on

the

exact location of each & every

train

on

the

tracks

between

Churchgate & Virar, and hence

can analyze a global picture and
thereby space all of the trains at
equal intervals by sending each
train

centralized

signal

command, to avoid bunching some

and distancing some others)
Modernized Radio Transmission based ATC Signaling System, is a
standard in any International Rapid Rail Transit System, whereas
Mumbai Suburban Railway is still following Colour Aspect based
Signaling System.
This is one of the major factors affecting the performance of
Mumbai Suburban Locals, up-gradation of which can streamline its
functioning, space all the trains equally on a given route, achieve

+/- 10 seconds time table adherence accuracy, increase the

frequency of trains, and thus dramatically improve the quality of
travel as well as increase the passenger carrying capacity by
almost 150% of the existing capacity.
Interestingly the cost of up-grading the present Colour light aspect
based signaling system to the latest international standards is just
5% of the cost of installing an entirely new Metro Rapid Rail
Transit System!
Please do note that for ATC system to be introduced and be
successful, some tweaks are required to be made to the existing
infrastructure of Mumbai Suburban Local, such as, upgrading the
existing turnouts/crossovers, 25m overlap at terminals to allow the best train service
braking profile be used, a closed railway corridor free from both human as well as
motor vehicle trespass, etc.
2.3 SOME OTHER DIFFERENCES:
As discussed above, once ATC system is introduced, the performance & efficiency of
Mumbai Suburban Locals will be updated at par with any Metro Rapid Rail Transit
System across the world.
The following picturesque differences will remain though:
Air-Conditioned Modern Trains (Rolling Stock).
Escalators & Elevators in place of Manual Climbing Bridges.
..
3. Conclusion:
Up-gradation of Mumbai Suburban Railway to ATC based Signaling System will
increase the passenger carrying capacity by almost 50%, which is
equivalent to adding two elevated tracks not only to Churchgate
Virar Corridor (as proposed recently) but also to the railway
corridors of CSTM Kalyan, Kalyan Kasara, Kalyan Karjat,
CSTM Vashi & Vashi Panvel i.e. virtually add two tracks to the
entire network of Mumbai Suburban Railway comprising of
Western, Central & Harbor Lines.
It will also dramatically improve the overall efficiency & performance and bring it at
par with the latest Metro Rapid Rail Transit System across the World.

Sunil Ahya sunilahya@gmail.com

98200 71606.
Disclaimer:
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the authors, and are
based on an analysis of a detailed 175 page study report carried out by the MTR
Corporation Hong Kong of the entire Mumbai Suburban Railway in the year 2005, a
copy of which was obtained under the Right to Information Act. Assumptions made
within the analysis are not reflective of the position of any Government entity.
Following is the link to the MTR Corp. Hong Kongs Study Report:
http://tinyurl.com/Mumbai-Suburb-Rail-StudyReport