Min: ‘Kavach’, new lines to raise local train ops by 50%

Mumbai: Railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday said Mumbai local trains will see a 50% increase in services once key infrastructure upgrades, including implementation of advanced signalling technology Kavach 5.0, are completed.
Currently, Central Railway and Western Railway together operate nearly 3,000 services, ferrying around 80 lakh passengers daily.
"Projects worth nearly Rs 17,000 crore, covering over 300km of new lines, are progressing rapidly," Vaishnaw told reporters. These projects include the fifth and sixth lines between CSMT and Parel, laying of a corridor between Panvel and Karjat, extending the harbour line from Goregaon to Borivli, and additional lines from Borivli-Dahanu and Kalyan-Belapur.
Among major technological upgrades is the rollout of Kavach 5.0— a cutting-edge automatic train protection system—specifically adapted for Mumbai's dense suburban network. "It is expected to significantly reduce inter-train headway, enabling more trains to operate safely and efficiently," Vaishnaw said, highlighting the system's potential to improve both safety and service frequency.
The minister also announced the introduction of 238 AC suburban rakes.
In addition, 132 stations across Maharashtra are being redeveloped under Amrit Bharat station scheme.