CR to upgrade indicators, display expected time of arrival

Mumbai: Central Railway (CR) has decided to upgrade the indicators at all railway stations on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Kalyan and Panvel routes at a cost of ₹4-5 crore. The move is expected to bring relief for the nearly four million daily commuters on CR, who have no means of knowing how long it might take for a train to arrive on the platform.
Stations on Western Railway’s suburban network have indicators that display the expected time of arrival in minutes or seconds. But the same feature is missing on the CR network, where indicators display a train’s scheduled time, destination and whether it is a slow or fast train, while the slot for expected time of arrival is usually empty.
CR will replicate the system being used on the Western Railway to address the lacuna, said sources. “Platform indicators will be upgraded by integrating them with the train management system. The software already has this feature, which will now be updated,” said a senior CR official. Once the indicators are integrated with the train management system, they will display the expected time of arrival based on the train’s location, the official added.
Rail commuters’ groups, however, slammed the move, saying CR should first ensure that trains run on time. “CR authorities should first operate the trains as per the scheduled timetable and reduce the delays. They should also show the actual delay on the indicator post upgradation so that commuters are aware of the correct situation,” said Madhu Kotian, president, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.