It begans its operation in 1857.The Mumbai Suburban Railway system, part of the public transportation system of Mumbai, is provided for by the state-run Indian Railways' two zonal Western Railways and Central Railways. The system carries more than 6.1 million commuters on a daily basis and constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. It has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in the world. The trains plying on its routes are commonly referred to as local trains or simply as locals by the general populace.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway, as well as Indian Railways, are an offshoot of the first railway to be built by the British in India in April 1853. This was also the oldest railway system in Asia. The first train ran between Mumbai and Thane, a distance of 34 km. The Bombay Railway History Group has been striving to document railway heritage along this line.
Given the geographical spread of the population and location of business areas, the rail network is the principal mode of mass transport in Mumbai.
Zones in mumbai railway>>
Two zonal Railways, the Western Railway (WR) and the Central Railway (CR), operate the Mumbai Suburban Railway system. At present, the fast corridors on Central Railway as well as Western Railway are shared for long distance (main line) and freight trains.
Western line:
Two corridors (one local and the other through) on Western Railway run northwards from Churchgate terminus parallel to the west coast up to Dahanu Road (120 km). These corridors are popularly referred to as 'Western Line' by the locals mainly because it is operated and owned by the Western Railways. Electric Multiple Units (EMUs) ply between Churchgate and Virar and beyond Virar till Dahanu, Mainline Electrical Multiple Units and engine hauled shuttles are plied. There are EMU carsheds at Mumbai Central and Kandivili. The EMU Repair shop is at Mahalaxmi. The distance between Churchgate to Virar and Virar to Dahanu is almost the same, but the former has 28 stations, but the latter has just 6 stations owing to the fact that it plies outside the city limits. The prime stations on this route are Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Bandra, Andheri, Borivali, Mira Road, Bhayander, Vasai, and Virar. Western railway's EMU fleet consists of EMUs running on Direct Current (1.5 KV DC) power as well as those running as bi-current i.e. Alternating Current (25 KV) as well as Direct Current (1.5 KV) power. EMUs are 9 car or 12 car formations and are differentiated as slow and fast locals. Slow trains halt at all stations, while fast ones halt at important stations only and are preferable over longer distances. Trains usually start from and terminate at important stations.
List of stations in order in western track:
List of stations on Western Railway (in order):
Station name
Churchgate
Marine Lines
Charni Road
Grant Road
Mumbai Central
Mahalakshmi
Lower parel
Elphinstone Road
Dadar
Matunga Road
Mahim Junction
Bandra
Khar Road
Santacruz
Vile Parle
Andheri
Jogeshwari
Goregaon
Malad
Kandivali
Borivli
Dahisar
Mira Road
Bhayandar
Naigaon
Vasai Road
Nala Sopara
Virar
Vaitarna
Saphale
Kelve Road
Palghar
Umroli
Boisar
Vangaon
Dahanu Road
Central line:
The Central Line in Mumbai consists of 3 Major corridors, which bifurcate as they run into Suburban satellite towns. Two corridors (one local and other through) on Central Railway run from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) to Kalyan (54 km), from where it bifurcates into Kalyan–Kasara (67 km) in the north-east and Kalyan–Karjat–Khopoli (61 km) in south-east. These two corridors constitute the 'Main' Line. They consist of a fleet of DC as well as AC/DC powered EMUs. The major car sheds on this line are at Kurla and Kalwa. There are fast and slow locals here for suburban service. Slow locals halt at every station, while fast locals halts vary between Byculla, Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Bhandup, Mulund, Thane, Dombivali and Kalyan. All services plying beyond Kalyan run slow and thus halt at all stations. Central Railway also operates diesel multiple units (DMUs) on the routes connecting Diva Junction on Central Railway and Vasai Road on Western Railway and Diva Junction to Roha via Panvel.
List of stations in central track:
Within Greater Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (formerly, Boribandar Victoria Terminus (VT)), Masjid Bunder, Sandhurst Road, Byculla, Chinchpokli, Currey Road, Parel, Dadar, Matunga, Sion, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Ghatkopar, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Bhandup, Nahur, Mulund, Thane
Outside Greater Mumbai: Kalwa, Mumbra, Diwa, Dombivli, Thakurli, Kalyan
Kalyan, Thane, Dadar are important stops for outstation trains.
At Kalyan, the route splits up into two sections.
Karjat Line
Kalyan, Vitthalwadi, Ulhasnagar, Ambarnath, Badlapur, Vangani, Shelu, Neral, Bhivpuri Road, Karjat, Palasdari, Kelavli, Dolavli, Lowjee, Khopoli
Kasara Line
Kalyan, Shahad, Ambivli, Titwala, Khadavli, Vasind, Asangaon, Atgaon, Khardi, Kasara
Harbour Line Stations:
Within Greater Mumbai: Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) (formerly, Victoria Terminus (VT), Masjid, Sandhurst Road, Dockyard Road, Reay Road, Cotton Green, Sewri, Wadala road
Towards Andheri: Wadala road, King's Circle, Mahim, Bandra, Khar Road, Santacruz, Vile Parle, Andheri
Towards Thane and Panvel: Wadala road, Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar, Chunabhatti, Kurla,Tilak Nagar, Chembur, Govandi, Mankhurd
Within Navi Mumbai:
Towards Panvel: Vashi, Sanpada, Juinagar, Nerul, Seawoods, CB Belapur, Khargar, Mansarovar, Khandeshwar, Panvel
Towards Thane: Vashi, Sanpada, Turbhe, Kopar Khairane, Ghansoli, Rabale, Airoli, Thane.
Towards Karjat: Panvel, Chikhale, Mohope, Chowk, Karjat
