All Mumbai local trains must be 15-coach, says Piyush Goyal; asks railway officials to draft timeline within two weeks

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal on Tuesday directed that all local trains in Mumbai be turned into 15-coach trains. He also asked the senior officials of Central and Western Railway to come up with a timeline for the project within two weeks, reported Mumbai Mirror. Goyal, at a meeting with senior railway officials, said that this move will increase the Mumbai local trains’ capacity by 25 percent. Currently, the Western Railway has only 15 local trains with 15 coaches. [caption id=“attachment_4449521” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of union minister Piyush Goyal. PIB[/caption] On 11 November, Goyal announced that up to Rs 65,000 crore has been approved for a host of rail infrastructure projects on the suburban network in Mumbai and its surrounding areas, reported PTI. These projects, investment for which were proposed in this year’s Union budget, including new works and the upgradation of existing facilities on the busy network, serves as the transport lifeline of the metropolis, he said. Goyal said the Maharashtra government has been actively supporting these infrastructure projects, which seek to improve transportation and passenger amenities. “With the blessings of our visionary Prime Minister Narendra Modi and with the active support of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the decision of having an investment of a whopping Rs 600 to Rs 650 billion in the last proposed budget has been approved. “This will ensure upgradation of the suburban railway system of Mumbai and its adjacent areas,” he had said. With inputs from PTI