Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) has concluded 2024 on a high note, marking significant advancements in infrastructure, passenger amenities, safety, and digital transformation. The year saw historic milestones and innovative initiatives that reaffirm WR’s commitment to enhancing rail connectivity and elevating the travel experience.
Yearly Round Up – Western Railway 2024
Western Railway’s Headquarters Building at Churchgate constructed in 1899, completed 125 years in January 2024. A month-long celebration marked this historic milestone
WR’s first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail introduced between Bhuj & Ahmedabad
One more Vande Bharat Express introduced between Ahmedabad & Mumbai,
Ahmedabad – Jamnagar Vande Bharat Express extended upto Okha
Introduction of Train No. 10115/16 Bandra Terminus – Madgaon Express.
With the introduction of this train, the long-standing demand of commencing a train from western suburbs to Konkan has been fulfilled
Suburban services on WR increased from 1394 to 1406
AC local services also crossed the century mark, which increased from 96 to 109, while 15 coach services increased to 209.
Work of Redevelopment of Surat, Somnath, Sabarmati, New Bhuj & Ahmedabad stations is progressing at rapid pace.
WR successfully completed Loco trials of about 502 km and 81 locos have been fitted with KAVACH system.
352 km of New Lines, Gauge Conversion and Doubling work commissioned
More than 97% of WR Broad Gauge route has been electrified
6th line work completed between Khar – Goregaon – Malad – Kandivali.
New Platform No. 1 commissioned at Malad, with renumbering of all platforms.
WR achieved loading of almost 103 million tonnes during the period from January to December 2024.
In the current financial year, WR achieved loading of more than 76 million tonnes till December 2024.
WR’s Mumbai Division commissions the First Gati Shakti Multimodal Cargo Terminal at Nardana.
Remote Operated Floater Cameras & Pulse Radar based Water Level Monitoring System adopted for efficient monitoring of tracks, drains & bridges during the monsoons. This was undertaken for the first time in Indian Railways.
8 Escalators & 21 Lifts commissioned in the year 2024
Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras opened at Vapi, Valsad, Ankleshwar, Chandlodiya, Rajkot, Ratlam and Mahesana stations.More such Kendras will be opened soon.
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) provided at 22 stations over
WR’s Mumbai suburban section under CSR activity
‘Namaste Health App’ launched over Churchgate to Virar. Aims to provide crucial advice during the Golden hour
WR shined at the 69th Railway Week Function by winning three Efficiency Shields and eight Individual Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar for the year 2024.
The year 2024 has indeed been a momentous year, with WR taking huge strides in many spheres & scaling new heights. This year bears witness to various remarkable developments in diverse fields.
Infrastructural Developments
● Western Railway is forging ahead with various milestone infrastructural projects and aims to provide rail connectivity even to the remote places and to connect the people from these regions with rest of the country.
● In this calendar year, WR has commissioned 352 km of New Lines, Gauge Conversion and Doubling work, while 238 RKM have been electrified. More than 97% of WR Broad Gauge route has been electrified.
● This calendar year, Western Railway successfully completed several ambitious projects such as Mahesana – Palanpur Doubling, Bhuj – Naliya as well as Kalol – Kadi – Katosan Gauge Conversion projects
● Some of the other major infrastructural works completed & commissioned during this year are as under:
o Doubling of Rau – Dr. Ambedkar Nagar section
o Barayala Chaurasi – Dhosawas & Neemuch – Harkiakhal section, part of Neemuch – Ratlam Doubling
o Rajkot – Padadhari section, part of Rajkot – Kanalus Doubling Project
o Dr. Ambedkar Nagar – Patalpani section & Omkareshwar – Sanand section, part of Ratlam – Mhow – Khandwa – Akola Gauge Conversion Project
o Anand – Od – Thasra – Sevaliya section and Vavadi Khurd – Godhra section, part of Anand – Godhra Doubling Project
● An important milestone was achieved in the ongoing Indore – Dahod New line project when the excavation work of the Tihi – Pithampur tunnel was completed. This 2967 meter long tunnel formed a major challenge in the project.
● In the Mumbai suburban section, Western Railway successfully completed the work of 6th line between Khar – Goregaon – Malad – Kandivali. New Platform No. 1 commissioned at Malad, with platform renumbering carried out.
● Prime Minister laid the foundation stone of Quadrupling of Gandhidham – Adipur Rail Line and Quadrupling of Samakhiali – Gandhidham Rail Line
● The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved 6 (Six) projects of Ministry of Railways with total estimated cost of Rs. 12,343 crore (approx). Out of these 6 projects, 2 of them namely, Luni – Samdari – Bhildi & Ajmer – Chanderiya falls under the jurisdiction of WR. This will reduce congestion on one of the busiest sections across Indian Railways.
● Major infrastructural works pertaining to removal of operational constraints and bottlenecks has enhanced the mobility & safety in train operations.
Enhanced Passenger Comfort & Convenience
● Prime Minister flagged off the inaugural run of Western Railway’s first Namo Bharat Rapid Rail between Bhuj & Ahmedabad. This indigenously developed train comprising of unreserved coaches is fully air-conditioned & offers a myriad of modern travelling experience.
● One more Vande Bharat Express introduced between Ahmedabad & Mumbai
● Ahmedabad – Jamnagar Vande Bharat Express further extended upto Okha
● The work of redevelopment of Surat, Somnath, Sabarmati, New Bhuj & Ahmedabad stations into world class stations is taking shape at a rapid pace and will soon be turned into a reality. Further, several stations are also being developed into Amrit stations.
● New Services Introduced:
● Train No. 10115/10116 Bandra Terminus – Madgaon Express [Bi-weekly]
With the introduction of this train, the long-standing demand of commencing a train from western suburbs to Konkan has been fulfilled.
● Train No. 22543/22544 Bandra Terminus-Lalkuan Superfast Express [Weekly]
● For the convenience of passengers, this year WR introduced 12 local train services, thereby increasing the services over its Mumbai suburban section from 1394 to 1406.
● AC local services also crossed the century mark, which increased from 96 to 109, while 15 coach services increased to 209.
● Under the “Eat Right India” initiative, till date, 34 stations and 10 campuses of WR (which include Hospitals, Staff canteens, Running rooms) have been granted the accreditation of “Eat Right” by FSSAI.
● Western Railway’s first ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ in Mumbai opened at Andheri railway station and another was opened at Borivali station. Further, ‘Restaurant on Wheels’ was also opened at Ratlam railway station.
● In a bid to make affordable & quality generic medicines available even at railway stations, WR opened Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Jan Aushadhi Kendras at Vapi, Valsad, Ankleshwar, Chandlodiya, Rajkot, Ratlam and Mahesana stations. More such Kendras will be opened soon.
Hungry for Cargo
● WR achieved loading of more than 103 million tonnes during the period from January to December 2024.
● Hon’ble Prime Minister dedicated to the nation six (6) Goods sheds at Udhna, Asarva, Naroda, Radhanpur, Dhosawas & Nimach.
● Western Railway’s Mumbai Division commissioned the First Gati Shakti Multimodal Cargo Terminal at Nardana.
Safety: Our Prime Concern
● 21 Lifts & 8 Escalators have also been commissioned at stations in 2024 which includes 8 Lifts & 7 escalators in Mumbai suburban section.
● Western Railway is advancing steadily in the installation of ‘KAVACH,’ an indigenously developed Automatic Train Protection (ATP) technology that significantly enhances train safety and operational efficiency. The KAVACH technology is being implemented in 789 km & in 90 locos.
● In this calendar year, upto November 2024, WR has successfully completed Loco trials of about 502 km and 81 locos have been fitted with KAVACH system.
Monsoon Preparedness
● WR meticulously planned & executed various important monsoon related works in the suburban section on a mission mode to prevent flooding on tracks & facilitate smooth operations of trains even during heavy rains.
● This year, Western Railway deployed Remote Operated Floater Cameras to take photograph of culverts and bridges which are inaccessible to reach manually. This is being done for the first time in Indian Railways. These remote operated cameras have inbuilt lighting system to get clear images of underground culverts, even in darkness. Based on these photographs, cleaning of these culverts was undertaken.
● WR also installed Pulse Rader based Water Level Monitoring System at vulnerable bridges. The water level monitoring instruments along with Intelligent Field Devices transmits the water level data every 15 mins via GPRS to a central server. This enables it to monitor water level of the river continuously from anywhere.
● Total 17 such devices have been installed over Mumbai Central Division of Western Railway including 04 at Mumbai Suburban section viz, Bridge No. 20 between Mahim and Bandra, Bridge No. 66 between Borivali and Dahisar, Bridge No. 72 between Dahisar and Mira Road & Bridge No. 75 between Bhayandar and Naigaon.
● Due to these sustained efforts, WR ensured seamless connectivity with normal and disruption-free services, despite heavy rainfall during the monsoons.
Strengthening our Security Measures
● Due to the alertness and courageous acts of WR RPF jawans, 32 precious lives were saved under Operation Jeevan Raksha
● Under Operation Nanhe Farishtey, 790 runway/missing children were rescued & reunited with family in this year.
● Under Operation Amanat, during the year 2024, RPF retrieved left behind luggage having value to the tune of almost Rs 9 crore belonging to passengers and were returned to them after due verification.
Milestones in Medical Sector
● Western Railway’s Jagjivan Ram Hospital, Mumbai, accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals (NABH), making “JRH First ever Indian Railway hospital to obtain this coveted quality control accreditation”. NABH accreditation is indicative of high level of patient care and safety being provided in JRH conforming to highest Quality standards of NABH.
● Digital Subtraction Angiography (DSA) Cath Lab set up at Jagjivan Ram Hospital. This state-of-the-art facility will go a long way in providing lifesaving quality care to Railway Beneficiaries.
● Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) provided at 22 stations over WR’s Mumbai suburban section under CSR activity. CPR training provided to all concerned staff of these stations. One AED is also installed in the Headquarters office of Western Railway.
● ‘Namaste Health App’ launched recently for the benefit of Western Railway commuters from Churchgate to Virar. Now, commuters can avail emergency advice, free of cost through this App at any of the suburban stations on this section. It aims to provide crucial advice during the golden hour in case of emergency
Digital Initiatives
● Dynamic QR Code System implemented at 412 UTS and 95 PRS counters of WR’s Mumbai Division to promote cashless transactions. This has significantly streamlined the ticket purchasing process & has enabled passengers to buy tickets using digital payment methods
● In yet another major impetus to the Digital India campaign, “UTSAV” (UTS App Vapara) launched with a goal to enhance awareness among the passengers about the benefits of UTS app which facilitates digital booking of tickets.
Cleanliness & Green Initiatives
● During the year 2024, 13 Natural Water Coolers have been installed and commissioned across WR. So far, a total of 74 natural water coolers have been provided all over Western railway.
● In order to achieve the objective of Indian Railways to become 100% self-sustainable for all its power needs and also to contribute to national solar power goals, 1.48 MWp capacity rooftop solar plants were installed in 2024. These plants have been commissioned and connected to the grid, resulting in savings to the tune of over Rs. 7 crore.
Awards & Accolades
● Western Railway shined at the 69th Railway Week Function by winning three Efficiency Shields and eight Individual Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar for the year 2024.
● Western Railway has received the prestigious Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar Shields for outstanding performance in the fields of Level Crossing and Road Over/Under Bridge Safety Works, Non-Fare Revenue (NFR) Shield and the Civil Engineering Shield.
● Eight officials/ staff received the Individual “Ati Vishisht Rail Seva Puraskar” for their meritorious performance.
● WR continued its winning streak at the prestigious National Energy Conservation Awards (NECA) 2024 conducted by Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE), Ministry of Power, Govt. of India. Western Railway’s Rajkot Division received the Certificate of Recognition in the Transport Sector for the project ‘Automation of Undergear Lights’.
● Vatva Shed established a benchmark by securing 1st rank in all India Cab Up-Gradation Competition held at Patiala Locomotive Workshop in March 2024.
Boost to Sports
● The talented sports persons of Western Railway have always brought laurels to our country & to Indian Railways.
● Two players of WR, Antim Panghal & Parul Chaudhary were part of the Indian Contingent that participated in the Paris Olympic Games 2024.
● Mariana Kujur was part of the Indian Women Hockey Team which clinched Silver Medal at the Women Hockey World Cup 2024 at Muscat.
● P. Suresh &. Rashmi Y. bagged Gold Medals, while Ms Samruddhi Deolekar secured Silver Medal in their respective categories at the Asian Powerlifting Championship held at Hong Kong.
