Once a busy hub for freight traffic, the rail yard in Wadi Bundar, Mumbai, is being converted into a cutting-edge depot for Vande Bharat Express trains. The depot is a component of Indian Railways’ nationwide repair depot network, and it will feature eight stabling lines. Other infrastructural projects, such as the planned Metro-11 line that would link Wadi Bundar to other areas of the city, are also expected to have a positive impact on the neighborhood. It is anticipated that Wadi Bundar’s restoration will improve connections and breathe fresh air into the surrounding neighborhood.

Mumbai: After dusk, Wadi Bundar, which used to be the hub of freight traffic, seems like a deserted town. However, the veil of doom is gradually lifting as the 1882-built rail yard is being renovated into a cutting-edge depot that will house and service semi-high speed Vande Bharat Express trains.

The new Vande Sadharan Express non-AC train, which is operated by Central Railway (CR), arrived here earlier this week. It is clearly orange and gray in color. Trial runs of the train on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Igatpuri stretch were also conducted by CR.

The train yard is located in the center of south Mumbai, partially beneath the nearby P D’Mello Road and Sandhurst Road station. Grain and spices from all across India were once transported to the city’s thriving wholesale markets via the network of crisscrossing rail lines. Once the hub is upgraded to a top-notch facility, that vibrancy should come back.

2.0 Wadi Bandar

CR manages four routes that are used by the Vande Bharat Express trains. Under CR’s Gati Shakti project, the draft plan shows an eight-line maintenance facility specifically for the trains. Chief PRO, CR Shivraj Manaspure said, “It’s a ₹54 crore project with plans sanctioned in 2020, where eight stabling lines will be created.”

Work has started on building the shed, installing rail lines, and clearing out clutter to make more room. According to a CR official, Vande Bharat trains that run between CSMT and Shirdi, Solapur, and Goa are stabled here and cleaned using cyclone technology-equipped vacuum cleaners.

In order to serve the approximately 400 Vande Bharat trains that will be introduced over the following four years, Indian Railways has approved over ₹2400 crore for the establishment of 21 repair depots throughout the country.

Wadi Bundar, spanning 19.2 hectares, is an essential link for trains departing from CSMT. Its fourteen sheds were utilized for the loading and unloading of raw materials, food grains, and cement, among other items. These days, its duties have been limited to managing parcel delivery and bus repair. A linen washing facility also runs out of this location.

Source- Hindustan times