Family in stalled train takes shortcut, run over.“During peak hours, there are several long-distance trains which leave from CST and they occupy platforms. If an incoming passenger train is delayed and there’s non-availability of platforms, it may be moved to a loop line. Suburban trains would be given precedence over it. But under no circumstances should commuters get off and cross tracks.” GRP officials said that the Bhusawal PASSENGER is regularly SENT to the LOOP line where it HALTS FOR OVER AN HOUR, prompting many commuters to get off and cross the tracks despite it being ILLEGAL.

Nitasha Natu TNN  http://epaper.timesofindia.com/Default/Scripting/ArticleWin.asp?From=Archive&Source=Page&Skin=TOINEW&BaseHref=TOIM/2013/10/19&PageLabel=10&EntityId=Ar01000&ViewMode=HTML Mumbai: Three members of a family were killed on Thursday night after they got off a long-distance train and decided to take a shortcut across the tracks at Byculla. A suburban local knocked down Hussain Hawaldar (65), his wife Fatima (50) and daughter Zahra (22). The family had been walking adjacent to the railway tracks and not on them. GRP officials said the trio suffered massive head and facial injuries, which killed them on the spot. They did not sustain injuries on the rest of the body.      The Hawaldars were natives of Banswara in Rajasthan. They were visiting friends at Vasind in Maharashtra. Around 6.15pm on Thursday, they boarded the Bhusawal Passenger from Vasind station. The train terminates at CST. “At 8pm, the train reached Byculla and was halted on a loop line (which leaves a main line and then rejoins it later continuing in the same direction). Nearly 20 minutes later, when the train had not resumed its journey, Hussain, Fatima and Zahra decided to get off and walk down the short distance to Byculla where they had some work,” said senior inspector Surendra Deshmukh, CST GRP. Around 8.20pm, a CST-bound local hurtled in their direction. “The  trio craned their necks to get a better look. The motorman honked repeatedly on spotting the family. By the time he could halt, three bogies of the train had crossed the point where the trio stood. They were hit on their faces,” Deshmukh added.      The motorman got off and carried the bodies into the local. The train was detained for 20 minutes. At CST, he informed the GRP. Fatima was Hussain’s third wife. Hussain had two sons, Mohammad (40) and Murtuza (27) from his first wife who passed away. He then married a second time and had a daughter (Zahra). Hussain and Fatima were looking for a groom for Zahra.      On Friday, Mohammad and Murtuza flew to Mumbai and claimed the bodies. They are both employed at garment stores in Kuwait.      GRP officials said that the Bhusawal Passenger is regularly sent to the loop line where it halts for over an hour, prompting many commuters to get off and cross the tracks despite it being illegal.      A CR spokesperson said, “During peak hours, there are several long-distance trains which leave from CST and they occupy platforms. If an incoming passenger train is delayed and there’s non-availability of platforms, it may be moved to a loop line. Suburban trains would be given precedence over it. But under no circumstances should commuters get off and cross tracks.”  Youth killed A 22-year-old youth was killed while crossing the railway tracks near platform 2 of Ghatkopar station on Friday. The deceased hasn’t been identified yet. He was knocked down by a Thane-CST local around 12.30pm.

Prototype of stain-proof local train finally arrives

Manthan K Mehta TNN 

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Mumbai: The prototype of the new-generation stainless steel-bodied rakes finally arrived in the city on Wednesday, but it will take a while before these coaches are put into service on the Mumbai suburban network as they will first undergo trial runs. 
    The 12-car electric multiple unit is the first of the 72 rakes to be supplied to the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) for both Western and Central railways as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-II (MUTP-II) to modernize the fleet and traction system, and augment services. It can run at a maximum speed of 120 kmph, as against 100 kmph of the present Siemens rakes. 
    These new-age purple coaches are energy-efficient, have better seats, interior lighting and broader windows. The electrical fitting have been provided by Bombardier Transportation and are compatible to run on 25 KV Alternating Current Traction. The rake will be first introduced on Western Railway as it has already switched to 25 Kv AC traction, said a railway official. 
    “We hope to complete the trials as soon as possible so that inspection certificate from the Research Standards and Designs Organization can be in place by January 2014. We hope to get the two prototype rakes into service by March 2014,” said a senior railway official. Once all approvals are received from the commissioner of railway safety, work on manufacturing three-four rakes can begin by April-May 2014. All this is possible only if there are no glitches during the trial runs. 
    The much-awaited rakes were flagged off from the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai on October 1, and should have reached Mumbai in seven days, but the arrival got delayed due to the Telengana agitation in Andhra Pradesh. 
    The prototype was originally scheduled to arrive in the city before March 2013, but delay in getting approval for the designs and other technical issues pushed ahead the date. 
    The World Bank, which is financing the MUTP-II, had also expressed unhappiness over missing the deadline on delivery of prototype on several occasions.