34 Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000
Evolution of Urban Railways (part 2)
Feature
Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Indian Railways—Where The Commuter is The King!
Ram Chandra Acharya
Over the past 100 years the population ofIndia registered a fourfold increase from238 million to 1 billion. However, theurban population grew almost 13 times—as a percentage of the total population, ittripled from 11% to about 34%. Insuburbs, railways are a preferred mode oftransport and although commutersaccount for only 20% of the totalpassenger-km carried by Indian Railways(IR), in terms of passenger numbers, the12 million commuters boarding 7500 IRpassenger trains for myriad destinationson 63,000 route-km of tracks comprise ahuge 60% of all passenger traffic.
150 Years of Sustained Growth
The first railway in the world was theStockton & Darlington Railway in the UK,
which was opened in 1825. Railwaysreached France in 1829, the USA in 1830,Germany in 1835, I ta ly and theNetherlands in 1839, and Spain in 1848.Railways came relatively late to Indiawhen the first line of 21 miles (33.6 km)was opened from Boribunder to Thane in1853. The grand occasion was markedby a 21-gun salute and even theGovernor’s band was in attendance when14 railway carriages carrying 400 guestsleft Boribunder at 15:30 and arrived atThane at 16:45.By the time of Indian Independence in1947, the British had built a railwaynetwork of more than 58,000 kmprimarily for developing the hinterlandsand transporting agriculture produce,minerals, and troops to suppress uprisings.Rather surprisingly, private enterpriseplayed the leading role in railway
construction during the early 19th century.Since the colonial government guaranteeda 5% return on investment, growth wasphenomenal in the ear ly s tages.Companies like the Bengal NagpurRailway achieved progress of almost 1mile a day even using pr imit iveconstruction methods depending heavilyon manual labour.The American Civil War also spurred thegrowth of railways in India. The Unionistblockade of Confederate ports in 1861soon began to starve Lancashire cottonmills of precious raw materials and theGreat Indian Peninsular Railway (GIPR)found it profitable to push its tracks intothe Deccan southern plateau over themountain range hugging the western coastto transport Indian cotton to Bombay byrail and then by ship to Lancashire.The second railway track was built by the
Passengers disembarking at Mumbai’s Churchgate Station, the Western Railway terminus (Author)
35Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
East Indian Railway and opened on 15August 1854 from Howrah to Hooghly(38.4 km) in eastern India, where Calcuttawas to become the seat of government.Meanwhile the Bombay Baroda andCentral India Railway Company (BB&CI)was incorporated by an Act of the BritishParliament on 2 July 1855 and soon setabout concluding an agreement with theEast India Company to construct a linefrom Surat (where the latter had itsfactories) to Baroda and Ahmedabad tomove cotton from Gujarat by rail. Moretrack was built later from Utran near Suratto Bombay (Grant Road Station) to reachBombay Port, which was opened on 28November 1864.S i r Kesk ie Wi l son , Governor o fBombay, declared the first electric line(1500-Vdc overhead catenary) openwhen a train ran from Victoria Terminus(Boribunder) to Kurla on the HarbourBranch Line of GIPR. The WesternRailway soon adopted the same systemfor i ts suburban services and thecombined suburban networks of theCentral and Western railways havegrown to about 120 km carrying over5 million commuters in some 2500,12-car electrical multiple unit (EMU)trains each day.
Reorganization and Post-independence Development
By Independence in 1947, the railwaynetwork consisted of 10 government and32 private railways, including thosebelonging to former princely states. Tomeet the demands of industrial growth,the network was reorganized in 1950 intoseven zones (later expanded to 9) withheadqua r t e r s a t ex i s t i ng ma jo rgovernment/private railways.Although the last 50 years have seen adrop in the railway’s market share from80% to 20% for passengers and from90% to 40% for freight, thanks to theright of way and convenience ofcommuter railways, commuter traffichas registered an all round increase,with increasing clamour for bettermetro networks serving suburbs.Rail is also still the preferred mode forpassengers travelling 500 km or more.Fast intercity trains compete effectivelywith airlines and are very popular on someshort-haul routes such as Delhi–Agra,Delhi–Chandigarh, Mumbai (Bombay)–Ahmedabad, Calcut ta–Rourke la ,Chennai–Bangalore to name a few. Ofcourse, the millions of rural labourers haveno alternative to railways for their annual
trips from the densely populated east tothe labour-hungry agricultural belt ofPunjab, Haryana, etc.
Growth of Urban RailwaySystems
There have been two distinct patterns ofrailway growth in urban India. The firstpattern consists of suburban sprawl alongthe track and has occurred in metropolitancities near ports, such as Mumbai,Calcutta and Chennai. The second patternconsists of radiating growth filling inbetween tracks converging on the city(eight in Delhi). Growth in cities such asDelhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad hasmostly been of this second pattern andthese cities have increasingly assumed theshape of a giant pumpkin!Suburban fare hikes are very unpopularand politically sensitive. As a result,monthly commuter tickets often cost aslittle as seven single fares, so manysuburban services are loss making andrequire high government subsidies. Incities such as Mumbai, suburban servicesconsume a disproportionately high levelof resources to keep them running at peakefficiency. Even a breakdown of just afew minutes results in serious law and
Items Central Western Eastern SE Metro Northern SouthernRailway Railway Railway Railway Railway Railway Railway
Route-km 254.69 124.60 716.46 225.00 16.45 256.00 141.82
Passengers (millions) 113.51 106.84 41.51 6.63 68.28 0.25 23.99
Daily services 1063 953 957 153 122 78 513
EMU Trainsets 107 73 122 26 18 29 64
Maintenance depots 3 2 4 2 2 1 2
Income (Rs. crores) 397.62 305.05 158.43 23.02 18.53 ✳ 66.99
Expenses (Rs. crores) 361.02 262.15 431.52 118.95 55.30 ✳ 137.04
Profit(+)/loss(-) (Rs. crores) +36.60 +42.90 -273.09 -95.93 -36.77 ✳ -70.05
Note: No separate financial accounts are maintained for the Delhi suburban system.
1997–98 Statistics for Suburban Railways
36 Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000
Evolution of Urban Railways (part 2)
Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
order problems as commuters vent theiranger on everyone and anything in sight.Most suburban service are primarily loss-making social obligations, and only theWestern and Central railways made aprofit in the last two financial years.Eastern Railway has one of the highestlevels of fare evasion, which resulted in ah u g e l o s s o f R s 2 7 3 . 0 9 c r o r e s(US$1 million = Rs2.2 crores); SouthEastern came second with a loss ofRs95.93 crores in 1997–98.
Wide-Body Rolling Stock
Almost 50 years ago, IR realized thatalleviation of rush-hour crush resultingfrom the exploding commuter populationwould require rolling stock 1' 4" widerthan the existing size of 10' 8". However,a 12' wide carriage requires large-scalemodification of trackside structures ontrunk lines designed for 10' 8" cars. Tosolve this problem, about 10 years ago,the Integral Coach Factory (ICF) designeda special mainline EMU that is now beingbuilt by IR’s carriage works at Chennai.While the old suburban systems of bothWestern and Central railways in Mumbaistill operate on 1500 Vdc, the more recentsystems of Calcutta, Delhi, Chennai,Bangalore, Hyderabad , etc., use 25 kVac,which is also the standard for mainlineservices. However, in view of theburgeoning traffic, and the need for betterservice reliability coupled with energysaving, in 1996–97, both the Central andWestern railways planned to investRs574.57 crores and Rs273.67 crores,respectively, to convert their existing1500-Vdc systems to 25 kVac. TheCalcutta Metro is the only system in Indiausing a 750-Vdc third rail system.As part of upgrades to improve workefficiency and conserve power, theancient resistor step-control system wasreplaced in 1985 on a trial basis bychopper control on a few trainsets; disc
brakes were introduced on three setsin 1987.
Need for Separate MetroOrganizations
In the last 20 years, all the major metrooperators have realized that it is notsufficient to just carry commuters to andfrom the suburbs—commuters still haveto reach their ultimate workplace,requiring a far more widespread and
interconnected network especially in thepumpkin-shaped ci t ies of Delhi ,Bangalore, Hyderabad, etc.Furthermore, railways have their handsfull with the major business of movinglong-distance freight and passengers,creating an urgent need to establishseparate organizations for fuller and moreactive cooperation with local citygovernments. Ultimately, this wouldmake rail-based rapid mass-transit systemsboth cost effective and user friendly.
Mumbai Metropolitan Transport Projects
Kaman
Kharbad
Existing Lines
Lines Under Construction
Broad GaugeSingle Double
Bhiwandi
MumbraKalwaThane
Diva
Dombivli
Kalyan
Kasara
Surat
Neral
Matheran
Khandeshwar
Kharghar
Turbhe
Santacruz
Andheri
Goregaon
Borivli
Mankhurd
Trombay
Quadrupling
Double Track
Double Track
Double Track
5TH Line
5TH & 6TH Line
Vadala
Ravli Jn.Flyover
(Ballard Estate)Carnac Bundar
SanpadaJuinagar
Belapur
Uran
ChattrepatiShivaji Terminus
Panvel
Apta
Pune
Karjat
Vashi
Nerul
Kurla
Seawood
ChurchgateColaba
MumbaiCentral
Dadar
Bandra
Bhandup
Vasai Rd.
Virar
Greater Mumbai
New Mumbai
MumbaiThane Creek
Bassien Creek
Ulhas River
37Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
However, given the huge numbers ofpeople to be moved, the time-testedbroad-gauge system with 12' wide EMUcarriages is probably preferred over anylight rail system that would seldom meetthe transport needs of most million-plusIndian cities.
Mumbai Railway’s—The Commuter’s Lifeline
Mumbai (formerly Bombay) is a 440 km2
island on the west coast of India. Itbecame a British possession when givenas a dowry from King John I of Portugal atthe marriage of his daughter Catherine ofBraganza to King Charles II of England in1661. The British government tookpossession in 1665 and soon leased theisland to the East India Company at anannual rent of £10. King George V wasthe first British monarch to set foot onIndian soil in 1911 at the Gateway ofIndia, a marble arch built in his honour inBombay harbour. Although Delhi isIndia’s political capital, Mumbai is thecommercial and financial powerhouseand contributes more than 33% of thenation’s tax revenues.The Mumbai suburban rail network is thelargest in the world in terms of the numberof commuters carried daily, and theCentral and Western railways carry amind-boggling 5 million passengers everyday. Nearly half of all passengers usingpublic transport are ferried by railways,which carry 80% of the total commuterpassenger-km due to the longer averagejourney length (25 km compared to 5 kmby road).Despite expansion of New Mumbai tothe mainland, most work places and thebusiness centre are still at the southerntip of the island, so the vast majority ofcommuters still travel to this area, atleast for the present. Ef forts areunderway to reduce congestion byshifting many government offices toNew Mumbai, which now has Nhava-
Sheva as its new port.The Central Railway network is 255-kmlong with 89 stations compared toWestern Railway’s 125-km network with64 stations. Each operator runs about1100 and 1000 trains, respectively, witheach train carrying about 4500 passengersduring the rush hour. These networks arethe lifeline for all commercial andbusiness activity in Mumbai and it is nowonder that chaos breaks loose when thishuman conveyor belt breaks down foreven a few minutes.If these rail services fail, thousands ofMEST double-decker buses choke thehighways to a standstill, a scenario thatDelhi commuters face practically everyday without a whimper!In line with the policy to involve stategovernments in footing the mountingb i l l s f o r a d d i n g c a p a c i t y, t h eMaharashtra Rail Vikas Corporationwas recently formed, but it has yet tofirm up plans for a mix of undergroundand elevated tracks for the third andfourth corridors. A major investmentwould be optimization of both theCentral and Western railway networks,including int roduct ion of 12-car
trainsets on both through and local linesat an estimated cost of Rs84.60 crores.
Quantum Jumpin Track Capacity
After rioting in the early 90s by commutersangered by poor overcrowded services,the double-track section from Borivli toVirar is slated for quadrupling by 2006 ata cost of Rs401.66 crores. Thequadrupled track will separate slow andexpress traffic to improve the commutingconditions. A fifth 12-km line fromMumbai Central to Santacruz is expectedto be completed by 2002 with additionof a 16.8-km extension from Santacruz toBorivli by 2004. The survey work isnearing completion and engineeringworks should start within 12 months.To give a boost to New Mumbai, a slewof projects providing additional trackcapacity and connectivity with theexisting Central Railway system are on thecards, including Thane–Turbhe–Nerul/Vashi as part of the Second Corridor at acost of Rs403.39 crores, and doubletracking of the Belapur–Panvel section ata cost of Rs279.83 crores, with the City &
Passengers disembarking at Churchgate Station, the terminus of Western Railway’s suburban lines (Author)
38 Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000
Evolution of Urban Railways (part 2)
Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Industrial Development Corporation(CIDCO) bearing 66% of the cost.Since both the BBCI and GIP alignmentsrun north–south, they divide the city intoeast and west corridors with distinctiveland use patterns. The western coastlineis the preferred residential area, while theeastern side is used for harbours, factoriesand general industrial development, withhousing for lower income groups.
Reclaiming Right-of-Way
Unfortunately, as often happens indevelopment of suburban railwaysystems, land for residential andcommercial use has priori ty and
municipal authorities are unwilling tomake land (let alone money) available forapproach roads or parking areas. As aresult, most suburban stations have littleor no room for ‘park and ride’ facilities.Moreover, hordes of poor peoplesearching for a job and a better life areattracted to Mumbai. Most end up livingin slums surrounding the metropolis.Many of these slums spring up illegallyon railway land adjoining tracks and thelocal police are often persuaded to lookthe other way by powerful slum landlords.Such slums often prevent adequate trackmaintenance, block drainage, andinterfere with train operations, resultingin reduced train speeds and increasedjourney times.
Since maintenance of law and order isoutside the responsibilities of IR, it washelpless in evicting slum residents fromits land. However, after nearly a year ofopinion-building among state bureaucratsand politicians (who are seldom happy tosupport what may be seen as anunpopular action), the administration ofCentral Railway formed a special taskforce to remove the encroachments whilepolice stood by to ensure law and order.The politicians gave their support to thedemolition of over 6,000 illegal structureswhen they realized that the railways area lifeline for millions of voting Mumbaicommuters and could be closed down byIR due to lack of maintenance.To ensure that the cleared land does not
Central Railway’s Harbour Branch Line in Mumbai illegally occupied by slums (top left). Houses were manually demolished due to difficult bulldozer access (top right). Generalview of demolition half way through (bottom left). Recovered railway land is leased to railway staff for food production (bottom right). (Photos: Author)
39Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
become encroached again , it has beenleased to IR track maintenance personnel.There are further major plans to demolishthe remaining structures and rehouse theoccupants at other sites made availableby the state government.
Delhi—Capital CommuterProblems
Delhi’s population of 10 million iscrowded into an area of some 1600 km2,stretching the public transport system tothe limit. As a result, Delhi is moreheavily dependent on commuting byroad than Mumbai, Calcutta and Chennai
(Madras). Vehicles spew exhaust gasesas they crowd into Delhi from a 50-kmradius around the city, creating massivetraffic jams and contributing to amounting road death toll.The nation’s capital is spreading radiallylike a giant pumpkin into the countrysideof the surrounding three states ofHaryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan.Existing Northern Railway tracks enter themetropolis from 8 directions but still donot serve many of the old and newresidential and business areas, so theburden on the roads is mounting.Moreover, the city planners have longrelied heavily on roads while relegating
the railways to a secondary role.However, the inner and outer ring roadsand flyovers have been swamped by thevirtual explosion in commuter traffic.While the Northern Railway tracksconverging from eight directions into fivemain corridors of Delhi, New Delhi,Hazrat Nizamuddin, and Sarai Rohillaoffer a unique transport advantagebefitting the nation’s capital, the largenumber o f long -d i s t ance t r a in sconverging on the city also impose aheavy burden on city transport systems.For example, 10 trains arrive daily fromGhaziabad and Palwal, six trains fromRohtak and Sonepat, and five trains from
Delhi Metro Railway Corporation's Project
Khera Kalan
OldSectt.
Vishwa
VidyalayaBarw
ala
Narela
Holambi Kalan
Iradat Nagar
Ambedkar Colony
Tughlakabad
Faridabad
Okhla
Sirasp
ur
Badli
Surajpur
Transp
ort Nagar
Udyog N
agar
Naya Aza
dpur
Shalimar B
agh
Kirti Nagar
Patel Nagar
Daya Basti
Azadpur
Sawan Park
R.P. Bagh
Shaktinagar
Civil
Lines
Subzimandi
Baghpat Rd.Meerut
B. Hut'A' Panel
'B' Panel
Chawrl Bazar
Delhi Main
Delhi
H. Nizamuddin
PragatiMaidan
DelhiS. Rohila
DelhiK.Ganj S. Bazar
New Delhi
Connaught Place
Patel Chowk
Central Sectt.
Roh
tak
Nan
gloi
Naj
afga
rhB
ahad
urga
rh
Sha
kur
Bas
ti
Del
hiS
hahd
ara
Ram
pura
Cab
in
New
Pat
el N
agar
Kav
ita N
agar
Jwal
apur
i
Man
golp
uri
Mul
tan
Nag
arS
urya
Enc
lave
Delhi Cantt
PalamBijwasanGurgaon
Srin
agar
Gar
den
Trin
agar
D. S
afda
rjang
Cha
naky
apur
i
S. Brid
ge
T. B
ridge
S.P.
Mar
gV
ivek
anan
d P
uri
See
lam
purl
Tis
Haz
art
Sah
ibab
ad
Gha
ziab
ad
Anand Vihar
Mar
ipat
Car Depot
Pul
Ban
gash
Sha
strip
ark
Hap
ur
Gau
lam
purl
Yamuna River
Hiroon R
iver
Pra
lap
Ngr
.
Lajp
at N
agar
Sew
a N
agar
Lodh
i Col
ony
Brar Square
D. Inderpuri
Naraina Vihar
Sar
ojin
i Nag
ar
Noida
Rohini
1. Shahdara(0)-ISBT(8)-Nangloi(25)
2. Subzimadi(0)-Naya Azadpur(8) -Holambi Kalan(19.3)
3. Vishwa Vidyalaya(0)-ISBT(3) -Central Seclailat(11)
25
19.3
11
55.3
kmPhase-I
–
–
11
11
Underground
17.7
4.45
–
22.15
Elevated
7.3
14.85
–
22.15
Surface
Total:
Underground
Surface
Elevated
Under Construction
I.S.B.T
Saharanpur
Saharanpur
Moradabad
Khurja
Palwal
Rewari
Vasantkunj
S.J.Airport
SNP
Bha
tinda
40 Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000
Evolution of Urban Railways (part 2)
Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Rewari. Once these train passengersreach the metropolis, they must rely onbuses, cars, and taxis to complete theirjourneys in a competition of survival ofthe fittest.
Delhi Metro RailwayCorporation
1986 was a watershed year for long-suffering Delhi commuters when theMinistry of Urban Development took overresponsibility for rail mass transit as partof overall development of the city’s metro.Undoubtedly, IR heaved a sigh of relief athaving shaken off its expensive socialobligations, which apart from losingmoney also had its own heavy backlog ofrequired investment.After almost 20 years of surveys, reportsand studies to find a viable solution, RailIndia Techno-Economic Services (RITES)proposed a scheme composed of surface,elevated, and underground tracks. As aresul t , the Delhi Metro Rai lwayCorporation (DMRC) was established inMay 1995 as a joint venture between theMinistry of Urban Affairs and theGovernment of the National CapitalTerritory of Delhi (GNCTD).The proposed system is standalone withno physical link to the Northern Railwayexcept for commuter interchanges at NewDelhi and Old Delhi. It will be limited to
providing north–south and east–westcorridors that are presently non-existent.There will be 35 stations on 44.3 km ofsurface and elevated track running parallelto the existing arterial roads from Shahdarain the east, Nangloi in the west andHolambi Kalan in the north to Tis Hazariat the heart of Delhi. Another 11km ofunderground track will connect DelhiUniversity to Central Secretariat passingthrough 10 stations in some of the mostcongested parts of Delhi. The estimatedcost is Rs4860 crores (April 1996 values)and it is expected to carry 3.2 millionpassengers each day at a 3-minuteheadway during peak hours. The openingis scheduled for 2005.In August 1998, DMRC awarded aconsultancy contract to a consortium offive companies composed of PacificConsultants International (PCI) of Japan aslead member, Parsons BrinkenhoffInternational of the USA, TonichiEngineering Consultants of Japan, theJapanese Railway Technical Services, andRITES, which prepared the first feasibilityand later detailed reports.The real challenge is in land acquisitionwithout litigation as well as in relocatingnearly 30 slums, and 4000 structures andsmall businesses. Last but not least, manytemples along the route must be relocated.The 8-km stretch from Shahdara to TisHazari is currently a priority because its
completion will take almost 1 millioncommuters off one of the most congestedroads into Delhi at cost Rs550 crores.The first contract to construct a 554-mprestressed concrete bridge to carry doubletrack on a well foundation sunk 36 m belowthe riverbed was awarded to M/S LarsenToubro. Works are already well ahead ofschedule and the completion will be amajor factor in decreasing road congestion,journey times, accidents and pollutionlevels in Delhi.
Calcutta—India’s First Subway
Calcutta is only some 300 years old,having been created by the British whenthe East India Company moved its tradingpost in 1686 from Hooghly to a settlementof three villages at Sutanali, Govindpurand Kalikata—the anglicised corruptionof Kalikata gave Calcutta its present name.However by 1911, after Queen Victoria’sproclamation taking over the governmentof the sub-continent from the East IndiaCompany, the seat of government movedto Delhi. With a population of just over12 million, Calcutta has huge demand forurban transport and most needs are metby railways and thousands of public andprivate buses and taxis.The 16.45-km line with 17 stations fromDumdum to Tollygunge is India’s first
41Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Calcutta Subway under construction by cut-and-cover method (top). Completed subway station and domestically built trainset (opposite page left). Busy platforms (oppositepage right and bottom left) and crowded train (bottom right) of Calcutta Subway. (Photos: Author)
42 Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000
Evolution of Urban Railways (part 2)
Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
subway. It was opened fully to traffic as astandalone system in September 1995 anda 8.5-km extension from Tollygunge toGaria is expected to be completed by2005 at a cost of Rs696 crores. Howeverdelays in starting work have caused costoverruns of about Rs2,400 crores, but33% will be borne by the government ofWest Bengal. Although 122 daily trainscarried 68.28 million passengers in 1997–98, the line lost Rs34.77 crores.
Calcutta Subway and Circular Railway
Ramrajatala
Belanagar
Bally Halt
Barddhaman BWN Ranaghat
Bally
Ballyghat
VivekanandaSetu
RabindraSetu
VidyasagarSetu
Howrah
Dakshineswar
Bara Nagar
Barrackpore
Titagarh
Noapara Car Depot
Dum Dum Cantt.
Bongaon
NSC AirportDum Dum
BelgachiaPatipukur
UltadangaShyam Bazar
Bidhannagar
Sealdah
Chandni Ch.
Esplanade
Park Street
Maidan
Rabindra Sadan
Netaji Bhavan
Jatindas Park
Kalighat
KalighatLake Garden
Rabindra Sarobar
Ballygunge
Dinakuria
Park Circus
JadabpurTollygunge
Thakurpukur
Brace Bridge
Budge Budge
Tollyganj
Chanditala
Kudghat
Bansdroni
Naktala
Garia Bazar Pranab Nagar
Garia
Sonarpur
New GariaSubsidiaryDepot
Baghajatin
Central
M.G. Road
Girish Park
BDB Bag
ChandpolGhat
Eden Garden
Princep Ghat
Hastings
Shalimar
Khidirpur
Remount Rd.
Majerhat
Sova Bazar
BurraBazar
TalaBagBazar
SovaBazar
Santragachi
Belur
Liluah
Kharagpur
Padmapukur
Salt Lake City
Hooghly R
iver
Existing LinesMetro RailwayMetro Railway ExtensionCircular RailwayCircular Railway ExtensionProposed Outer LineSurveyed Line
Broad GaugeSingle Double
S. E. Rly
S.E.
Rly
S. E. Rly
An unfortunate feature of the suburbansystems of the Eastern and SouthEastern railways serving Calcutta is therampant fare evasion, despite the factthat a monthly season ticket costs theequivalent of just seven singles! As aresult, in 1997–98, while the suburbansystems of the Central and Westernrailways posted profits of Rs36.60c r o r e s a n d R s 4 2 . 9 0 c r o r e s ,respectively, the Eastern and South
Eastern systems lost Rs273.09 coresand Rs95.93 crores, respectively.
Eastern Railway System
The Eastern Railway system consists oftwo distinct alignments running north–south on the east and west banks of theRiver Hooghly. In 1997–98 , 957 EMUtrains composed of 618 from SealdahStation on the east bank and 342 fromHowrah on the west bank ran daily tocarry 41.51 million passengers for the yearat a huge loss of Rs273.09 crores. SouthEastern Railway, which uses EasternRailway’s Howrah terminus, ran 153services daily to carry just 6.63 millionpassengers at a loss of Rs95.93 crores.Disused tracks serving Calcutta port wereconverted into the 13.5-km CircularRailway from Dum Dum to Princep Ghatthat was opened to traffic in stages from1990. Extension of the railway fromPrincep Ghat to Majerhat and from DumD u m t o C a l c u t t a A i r p o r t w i t helectrification of the entire line is expectedto be completed by March 2004 at a costof Rs192.90 crores.Some existing diesel-loco hauledcommuter sections, which are short spursending at the Bangladesh border, areslated to be electrified in the near future.This would reduce operating costs byeliminating the diesel locomotivemaintenance depot at Ranaghat.
43Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Chennai ChoosesElevated Track
In their efforts to colonize India, theBritish decided to display their militarymight at the village of Madraspatnam,which was shortened to Madras (andrenamed Chennai a few years ago). TheEast India Company built the massiveFort St. George along Marina Beach in1653 and it is presently the seat of theTamil Nadu government. Bri t ishs u p r e m a c y i n t h e r e g i o n w a sestablished by the annexation ofDeccan, the soft underbelly of India in1819, and the East India Companystarted looking for ways to link Madras(Chennai) with Bombay (Mumbai)along the Konkan coast.The first train covered the 63.22 miles(101 km) from Veyasarpadi (nearChennai) to Waljah Road on the wayto Katpadi in 1856, just 3 years afterthe first train ran in India. The MadrasGuaranteed Railway which started theservice was soon taken over by thegovernment and became the Madrasand Southern Mahratta Railway in1908. In 1953, it was reorganized withother railways in the south to form thebasis of the present Southern Railway.The population of Madras in 1900 wasjus t 0 .8 mi l l ion, grew to near ly6 million by 1991 and is still growing.As in Mumbai and Calcut ta , thesuburban railways are very much thepre fe r red mode o f t ranspor t fo rChennai’s commuters. The 144-kmsuburban system make extensive use ofthe Southern Railways’ mainline tracksto provide commuter t rains f romGummidipundi 48 km to the North,Arakkonam 69 km to the West, andChengalpattu 59 km to the south.T h e M a d r a s B e a c h – Ta m b a r a m –Chengalpattu section is still metergauge but is slated for conversion tobroad gauge at a cost of Rs455.24crores. The Tamil Nadu government
Calcutta Eastern and SE Railways
Shantipur
Nabadwipghat
Ahmedpur
Sainthia
Asansol
Adra
Tatanagar
Rupsa
Lalgola
Bhagwangola
Sargachhi
Sirajnagar
Bethuadahari
KrishnanagarCity
Bagula
Gede
Shantipur
Nabadwipghat
Ranaghat
Majhergram
Katwa
Khana
Barddhaman
Saktigarh
Masagram
Gurap
Kalyani
Naihati
Barrackpore
BamangachhiBarasat
Machhalandapur
Thakurnagar
PetrapoleBangaon
Hasnabad
Dum Dum Cantt.Dum Dum Airport
Dum DumSealdah
Ballygunge
GariaSonarpur
Canning
Baruipur
ThakurpukurTollygunge
DiamondHarbour
Lakshmikantapur
Amta
Bargachia
Champadanga
Tarakeshwar
Kamarkundu
Bandel
Seoraphuli
Dankuni
HowahSantragachi
S.E.R.
N.G.
N.G
.
N.G.
N.G.
BudgeBudge
Majerhat
Tamluk
KolaghatMecheda
Panskura
Midnapur
Kharagpur
Nimpura
Durgachak
Haldia
Suburban SystemMetro Railway
Existing Lines: Single Double Electrified
Metro Railway ExtensionCircular RailwayCircular Railway ExtensionElectrification in progress
SouthEastern Eastern
Hooghly River
A typical local EMU at supercrush levels heading for Eastern Railway’s Sealdah Station at Calcutta (Author)
44 Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000
Evolution of Urban Railways (part 2)
Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
has agreed to bear half the cost becausethis section can be integrated into thebroad-gauge suburban ne twork ,r e s u l t i n g i n a m a j o r e a s i n g o fcongestion on roads into Chennai.The 8.55-km Mass Rapid Transit System(MRTS) from Madras Beach to Luz hasan elevated section of about 6 km from
Metropolitan Transport Projects for Chennai
Chennai City
Bay of Bengal
MadrasFertilizer
Ennore
Tiruvottiyur
Tondiarpet
Korukkupet
WashermenpetRoyapuram
BasinBridge
MadrasBeach
Fort
ParkTown
MadrasCentral
Madras Egmore
Palvalanthangal
New ColonyVelachery
Taramani
Velachery Rd.
Pallikkaranai
SelaiyurTambaram
Chengalpattu
Medabakkam
Guindy
Saidapet
Kasturbanagar
Indranagar
Tiruvanmiyur
Mambalam
Kadambakkam
Numgambakkam
Chetpet M.G.
Perambur
Veysarpadi
PCWPEWVillivakkam
New Washermenpet
Padi
KOTR
West Anna Nagar
Merkundram Chepauk
Triplicane
Lloyds Rd.
Tirumailai
Mandavali
Greenways Rd.
Kotturpuram
Chintadripet
Minakshinagar
M.G.R. Nagar
Industrial Estate
St. Thomas MtSt. Thomas Mt
Koyambedu
WimcoNagar
Mathur
Milk Colony
Madhavaram
Lakshmipuram
Poompughar
Existing LinesElectrified LinesSuburban System
MRTS Phase-I OpenedMRTS Phase-II in ProgressGauge ConversionChennai City limits
Broad GaugeMeter GaugeSingle DoubleDouble
Villupuram
Avadi
Gudur
Arakkonam
Park Town to Luz. The sur facealignment was opened in 1991, but theelevated section took another 6 yearsto complete. Built at cost of Rs268.87crores, i t has not proved popularbecause the approach roads, parking,and connections to other transportmodes are minimal, rather like Delhi’s
Circular Railway.To make the system more user friendly,station approaches, circulating areas,parking, etc., are being upgraded. Toreach a larger commuter base, the trackis being extended by 10.8 km (7.58 kmelevated) beyond Luz to Vellachery ata cost of Rs605.70 crores. Work is inprogress and should be completed byMarch 2002. Realizing the vital role itcould play in reducing road congestion,the Tamil Nadu government has goneone step further by agreeing to bear66% of the costs.The MRTS is planned to run another 40km beyond Velachery to Tiruvanmiyur/Ennore passing through some majorindustrial areas and providing a faster,safer, economical and pollution-freemode of transport within the city andits suburbs.
Bangalore—Attempts to Keepthe Garden City ‘Green’
Situated on the southern tip of theDeccan plateau at an elevation of 1000m, Bangalore enjoys a balmy climateyear round. Despite rapid urbandevelopment and industrialization, ithas retained its image as a Garden City.The broad-gauge tracks from Chennaiin the east, Mysore in the west, Mirajin the north-west and Hindupur in thenorth-east have lead to Delhi-likesprawl along these alignments.A recent commuter inter-modal surveyby RITES found that Bangalore ’spopulation of 4.3 million in 1991 islikely to reach 7.2 million by 2011. Thenumber of vehicle registrations has alsogrown tenfold in the last 20 years. In1997, there were 1 million registeredv e h i c l e s o f w h i c h 7 2 % w e r emotorbikes, which are increasing at anannual rate of 13%.Based on an earlier 1983 RITES studyon the Mass Transit Project Railway anda study by the Indian Insti tute of
45Japan Railway & Transport Review 25 • October 2000Copyright © 2000 EJRCF. All rights reserved.
Ram Chandra Acharya
Mr R. C. Acharya is a railway consultant and writer. He is a Chartered Engineer and Fellow of the
Institute of Mechanical Engineers (London) and began his career in the Indian Railway Service of
Mechanical Engineers in 1956. He was a senior management member of a 400-strong RITES (Rail
India Techno-Economic Services) team that managed the Nigerian Railway Corporation from 1979 to
1982. During the last 10 years of his career, he held various positions including Chief Mechanical
Engineer (CME), Integral Coach Factory, Chennai, and CME at the Centre for Modernisation of
Workshops (COFMOW), New Delhi. He was Chief Administrative Officer, Diesel Component Works,
Patiala, before taking over as General Manager Eastern Railway, Calcutta. At retirement in October
1992, he was Member (Mechanical) of the Railway Board.
Phase II of Bangalore MTP
New Stations(Proposed New Stations) 1 R.P.C Layout 2 Hosahalli 4 Jeevanahalli 5 Hoodi 6 Mathekara 7 Nagwara 8 Indira Nagar
Quadrupling & ElectrificationDoubling & ElectrificationEMU Depot
Bangalore City limitsHebbal
Prop. Rob
Vimanapura
BLR
Baiappanhalli
Banashankari
Jayanagar
Vijaya Nu.
1
2
4
8
7
6
7
To Mysore
To KanakapuraTo Anekal
To Hosur
To Salem
To Varthur
To Sarjapur
To White Field
To Mauras
To Madras
To Banaswadi
To Hennur
To BellaTo Noupur
To Miraj
To Tumkur
EMU Shed
To Magadi
Santacruz
Yeshwantpur
Iottogollan allr
Kengeri
M a n a g e m e n t ( I I M ) , R I T E Srecommended forming a circularr a i lway by connec t ing ex i s t i ngalignments and adding a few elevatedsections along some congested roads atan estimated cost of Rs840 crores.Hopefully, the proposed metro willcheck the exponential growth of roadtraffic and related air pollution tomaintain Bangalore ’s image as aGarden City. �
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