The Direct Current (DC) driven suburban local trains will ply for the last time on the Harbour Line on Saturday as part of a special service run by the Central Railways from Kurla to CST wherein passengers can book a historic ride for Rs. 10,000.
“We are operating this special service to mark the irreplaceable contribution of DC rakes in the suburban local operations. Also, this would be an unmissable offer to get a ride on the last DC local,” General Manager of Central Railways, S K Sood said.
This special train would leave Kurla at 11.30 PM (on Saturday) and reach CST at 12.15 AM on Sunday. Also, people will get to witness the ‘live’ conversion (from 1,500 DC to 25,000 volt AC traction).
After the train reaches CST, our team will start the conversion work of DC to AC, Sood said, adding a special function will be held at the CST heritage building here, where participants will get to see the ‘live’ conversion.
Sood said money collected by levying Rs. 10,000 per passenger would be given to the drought-hit in Maharashtra.
The iconic yellow-and-maroon direct current (DC) suburban local trains that served the metropolis for more than 90 years, started its first journey on February 3, 1925 when the first electric local ran between CST and Kurla on the Harbour line, marking the beginning of electrification of Railways in India.
However, CR’s latest initiative has drawn the fury of railway activists and experts who are of the opinion that this has nothing to do with end railway travellers.
A member of Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC) of Mumbai Division of CR, requesting anonymity said, “by charging Rs. 10,000 for a single trip, CR railway officers have ensured that only those who are very rich and perhaps never travel by local trains can avail this opportunity. This is the height of the stupidity shown by the so-called intellectual class officers.”
He claimed that CR would find it hard to sell the ticket for even Rs. 100.
