[sustran] Re: Mumba requires a new terminus for upcountry trains.

[mobility]

Kisan,

It is true that the World Bank is moving forward with the impending
World Bank loan for Mumbai.  I've reviewed briefly the below materials
and your letter to President Wolfensohn of the World Bank.  It seems to
me that the World Bank has been reasonably good about at least forcing
the MMDA to hold some sort of public hearing where you got some good
information.

I think the tone of your communications to the World Bank seems a little
bit too hostile given what we are talking about here.  I mean, the World
Bank is not proposing to blast a big highway through the middle of
Mumbai, nor are they planning to finance the numerous disastrous
fly-overs that the MMDA is constructing, and behind the scenes they have
been quite critical of them.

Before needlessly antagonizing a possible ally on many of your concerns,
it would help if you would clarify the following points.  Then maybe the
Sustran Steering Committee could speak with one voice on these issues in
a constructive way.

a. are you against any World Bank loan for mumbai?   My impression is
that the vast majority of funds ($600 million!) is directed at improving
rail services, which given Bombay's structure would seem to be
desperately needed.  Isn't this a good thing?   If you basically support
the loan, shouldn't the tone of your communications with the Bank and
the MMDA be less hostile?  If you are against the whole thing, can you
explain to me why?

b. you are against the inclusion of some road elements.  My
understanding has been that the road elements are intended to separate
surface-level road and rail traffic.   This seems quite reasonable.  Am
I missing something here?  I mean, the World Bank isnt proposing to fund
these 50 flyovers that Mumbai and many other Indian cities are building,
quite disasterously.

c.  You feel that the road elements included should have sidewalks, as
should many other streets in the project area, and that they are
required in national policy and not being implemented.   This is a valid
concern and the World Bank SHOULD  be an ally on this issue, given the
statements in their new Urban Transport Strategy.  These comments on the
actual proposed designs being hostile to pedestrians the project
managers at the World Bank should be able to address.  I have forwarded
your concerns to a few people inside the Bank.

d.  Have the railway improvements in the loan been completely worked out
or are they still under negotiation?  If still under negotiation, do we
NGOs have any credible rail experts who could voice a professional
opinion on some of these issues that would be seen as credible by the
World Bank and the MMDA?

e.  A big focus of the World Bank has been to get this new institutional
structure where the municipality has more control over commuter rail and
the national railway has less.  I don't know the status of this
institutional change.  Do you know -if this new institution has been
created, and - is it in the long run going to help improve commuter rail
services?

best
Walter Hook


kisan mehta wrote:

> Dear Sustran colleagues, Kanu Kamdar's suggestion for achieving
> sustainablemobility in Mumbai deserves serious
> consideration. Situation is that the user of the Island City is
> changingfrom housing to non-housing with the result that thepattern of
> long distance railway traffic has as wellchanged drastically. No need
> to start and  terminatethese trains in the crowded Island City.
> Tracksreleased can be utilised to more suburban trains.Suburban trains
> provide 6 million journeys and alongwith the public road service (4.5
> million journeys)provide the maximum and affordable mobility. Faster
> and more frequent suburban trains help inreducing suffocating crowding
> in Mumbai.  Let ushope that his suggestions are taken seriously bythe
> authorities.  Mumbai is now working on MumbaiUrban Transport Project.
> Augmentation andrationalising of public transport only can
> providerelief to Mumbai residents.  Building roads withoutpavement and
> flyovers only increase the hardshipof people. Best wishes. Priya Salvi
> and Kisan Mehta
>
>      ----- Original Message -----
>      From: Harshad Kamdar
>      To: sustran-discuss at jca.ax.apc.org
>      Sent: Friday, February 01, 2002 5:03 PM
>      Subject: [sustran] Mumba requires a new terminus for
>      upcountry trains.
>       On Jan 21 the above item was discussed in our group. While
>      many of us in Bombay are opposing flyovers and roads over
>      the sea to speed up traffic, one fundamental existing
>      resource is being missed. Our long distance trains on the C.
>      Rly, W. Rly & the newly formed Konkan Rly. are terminated in
>      South Bombay at the Mumbai Central (W Rly.) and at CST (C.
>      Rly.). These trains carry hardly 10% passengers, most of
>      them getting out at earlier suburban stations. Thus these
>      outstation trains occupy vital tracks which can be put to
>      use for commuters. Where shall we then terminate upcountry
>      trains ?There is a tract of 4 sq. kms of land between the
>      Matunga & Matunga Road & Dadar Central & Western, belonging
>      to the Indian Railways, which is used today for a C Rly
>      Workshop and for various offices and Residential buildings &
>      Recreation Club etc. These are not essential to be located
>      on this prime land. These can be locted elsewhere and the
>      land relesed can be used for locating both the terminii and
>      will provide additional space for adequate parking and other
>      essential services. While the major rehabilitation is
>      planned local loop lines can be developed for trains from C
>      Rly to W Rly and viceversa. The two lines released between
>      Dadar and respective terminus can be used for these loop
>      lines and trains from Western suburbs can proceed directly
>      to CST and viceversaFor the CST terminus, expansion can be
>      developed at the former goods sheds at Carnac Bunder & Wadi
>      bunder which are idling. One has to give a new thought to
>      this proposal which has the potential of increasing train
>      frequency on both railways to 2 mins.This will also reduce
>      the hardship of passengers changing from one terminus to the
>      other. As it is 80% of the passengers alight in the suburbs
>      or at Dadar.It will also give space for additional trains in
>      the peak morning evening traffic and ease commuter density
>      on trains and overall encourage more motorists to use rail
>      commutng Kanu H. J. KamdarPrakruti & Save Bombay
>      Commmiteehjk at rincon.net
>
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