What is ailing Mumbai Suburban Rail? What is the way forward?
Is it wise to go for these new suburban lines?
In an era of Mumbai metro, what space is there for respective systems?

1. What is ailing Mumbai Suburban Rail? What is the way forward?
+ Tracks are inadequate to serve both 2900 suburban trains (with 7.5m travellers) and fast, long-distance trains.
+ Growing demand from new airports and burgeoning suburbs, besides demand from under-served within Mumbai.
+ Land acquisition for grade works has been problematic. MUTP II & MUTP III works (line details in Link 1) have stalled. Construction delays and disruptions are likely (see link 2).
+ Huge losses lead to limited spend on essential infra, passenger amenities and rolling stock. Unsafe, old & unappealing stock abounds.
+ High casualties occur near tracks or at stations (easy access to track, encroachments, unconnected platforms) and off over-crowded trains. Travel is suffocating and unpleasant.

April 17 updates:
+ LS report: 15,000 die around suburbans - 6,000 in Mumbai. 50% due to trespassing; also, falling from trains, platform defects. IR must complete all FOBs, Fencing & Escalators on all suburbans in 4 months. All platforms on West/ Centre lines will be raised by June. 15 coach trains ASAP. Expedite new coaches with automatic doors & other safety designs. Recommends emergency medical centres, and medical facilities at all stations (see link 13).
+ CCTV in Ladies-special coaches and 980 IR stations (covers 1300/7500), incl suburbans. Piloting distress app linked to IR response teams (see link 14). New 48 trains and 2000 coaches will have regenerative brakes & closed doors. All noisy stock will be eliminated (see link 15).
+ Medha coaches introduced. ICF-build, fully indigenous; 25% cheaper; lightweight, higher propulsion, faster at 110kmph; onboard diagnostics preempts breakdowns, lower maintenance; automatic doors and forced ventilation (see link 16).

Solutions
+ 12 coach trains and faster AC traction completed. Widespread adoption of 15 rake trains can add capacity at cost of logistics. Also, extra capacity can be added by removing internal seating.
+ Fully enclosed, air-conditioned rolling stock to stop deaths from trains.
+ Also track access control; removal of swatters near tracks; walls; platform doors for overhead lines; platform walkways and ROBs. IR is adding ATM and Displays for non-fare revenue (see link 3) and new rail card to minimise costs.
+ Safety, amenities and other suggestions (not fully approved) can be seen in link 4. Some work has started, eg. elevators, wifi, height of platforms.
+ CBTC (basic metro-type signalling) can increase capacity and safety. Frequency increases from 4 minutes to 2 minutes. 1 out of 3 line will be fitted with CBTC (see link 5).
+ JV and State support agreement (SSA) has kick started major expansion: to complete MUTP II (approved 2008-9) and MUTP III (approved 2011-2012) (see link 6). New overhead routes have been sanctioned. These will be integrated to Mumbai Metro and other multi-modal transits.

2. Is it wise to go for these new suburban lines?
These lines have cleared state govt, NITI Aayog, WB and other lenders. CBTC should be highly beneficial. Most links are worthwhile, for providing: better connectivity; reduced waiting; faster, more frequent and timetabled services; and simplified control over operations. MUTPs will also upgrade safety, amenities and rolling stock. It is fair to say that suburban rail helps to develop outer suburbs and gives Mumbai access to cheap labour.

Sanctioned projects
1. MUTP II : to be completed as per link 6
2. MUTP III : to be completed as per link 7
3. CBTC on Harbour line : to be completed as per link 8
4. Virar - Vasai - Panvel : awaiting final approval, see link 9
5. Churchgate - Virar : to be completed as per link 11
6. CST - Panvel : to be completed as per link 11

Proposed projects (sanctioned by Union cabinet 12/16)
7. Safe rolling stock and parking spaces: for Central line, as per link 12.

* MUTP-II at Rs 7k crore
6th line MC - Borivali - segregates traffic & improves services (1km)
6 laning CST- Kurla - segregates traffic, reduces delay, punctuality (16km)
6-laning Thane- Diva - segregates fast trains & adds stop (9km)
Andheri - Goregaon - extension of services within Mumbai (6.5km)

* MUTP-III at Rs 10.9k crore.
Airoli - Kalwa rail link - connects Kalyan and Navi Mumbai (4km)
4- laning Virar-Dahanu - segregates suburban from express (63km)
2-laning Panvel-Karjat - increases suburban service (28km)

* CBTC at Harbour line at Rs 4.1k crore will improve frequency and safety

* VVP at Rs 9.4k crore. 5 yrs. 74 km. 10 stations.
To interconnect V & V, new urban set-ups en-route, upcoming hubs for warehousing, railways and manufacturing (see link 8) with Thane, Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, NM airport and Uran (see link 10).

* Churchgate - Virar at Rs 23k crore. 5 yrs (in 2 phases). 63 km. 26 stations.
* CST - Panvel at Rs 11k crore. 6 yrs. 48 km. 11 stations.
To significantly reduce vehicle traffic in Mumbai and reduce journey times.

* Safe rolling stock and parking berths proposed at Central line at Rs 20k crore; to save lives and reduce extreme congestion in future.

MAP: https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B399nzYJFwacNy1NcHh3UFdPcWM

3. In an era of Mumbai metro, what space is there for respective systems?
Suburban rail is best suited for fast travel between suburbs whereas metro is meant to serve smaller, compact area more intensively: Mumbai metro will be excellent for travelling within Mumbai. Metro rail (as exemplified by Delhi metro) has an excellent reputation for cleanliness, comfort, safety, quality rakes, punctuality, etc. It is a pity that IR will never be able to match those standards.

Metro: http://www.mid-day.com/articles/tracking-decongestion/16631191

Biggest suburban railway project in Mumbai cleared; gets NITI Aayog approval