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Central Railway’s Plan To End Harbour Line Services At Sandhurst Road & Cut Fast Train Halts At Byculla Faces Backlash

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Central Railway’s Plan To End Harbour Line Services At Sandhurst Road & Cut Fast Train Halts At Byculla Faces Backlash

Central Railway’s (CR) recent proposal to terminate Harbour Line suburban services at Sandhurst Road and eliminate fast train halts at Byculla has sparked significant opposition from passengers’ associations and experts .

“The changes are being considered to facilitate the extension of the fifth and sixth lines up to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)” said an official adding that this idea is still in its initial stage.

Former General Manager Of Central Railway On The New Plan

Criticizing the new idea of CR, Subodh Jain, former general manager of Central Railway and retired members of railway board said, ” I am unable to appreciate the proposal of terminating harbour line at Sandhurst Road. The traffic on the harbour line is growing at much faster rate because of growth in Navi Mumbai and connectivity to Western suburbs. Assuming that 40,000 commuters will reach Sandhurst Road and board during peak hour is foolish”

According to sources, the proposed alterations are intended to make space for the extension of the fifth and sixth lines up to CSMT. Currently, the fifth and the sixth lines exist between Kalyan and LTT and the work of extension of the 5th 6th line up to Patel is on.

“To accommodate this, CR is considering halting Harbour Line services at Sandhurst Road and repurposing platforms 1 and 2 at CSMT and Masjid for mainline slow services. This would also involve demolishing fast corridor platforms at Byculla to create room for new tracks, which would result in the removal of fast train stoppages between CSMT and Dadar” said a senior railway.

Strong Objections Raised

Passengers’ associations have also voiced strong objections to these proposals.

Subhash Gupta, Chairman of the Rail Yatri Parishad, also disapproved of the proposal, labelling it as “foolish” and calling for a reconsideration of alternative options.

Lata Agarde, Secretary of the Suburban Passengers Association, expressed strong concerns about the proposed termination of Harbour Line suburban services at Sandhurst Road. She highlighted that this move would significantly inconvenience commuters, particularly those travelling from Navi Mumbai. Agarde suggested that Central Railways reconsider relocating the Harbour Line services to the P D Mello Road side. Additionally, she criticized the plan to eliminate fast train stoppages at Byculla, arguing that it would worsen congestion at other stations. Agarde urged railway officials to re-visit Byculla station during peak hours to better understand the implications of their plan.

Siddhesh Desai a passenger activist, criticized the plan, suggesting that the termination of Harbour Line services at Sandhurst Road and the elimination of stoppage of fast train services at Byculla would disrupt commuter convenience. He urged the Railway authorities to explore alternative solutions.

The fifth and sixth lines currently exist between Kalyan to LTT. The extension of the 5th and 6th lineup to Parel is on. The debate over their alignment between Parel and CSMT has been complicated by land acquisition issues, particularly the need for private land.

Previously, CR proposed an alternative alignment for the Harbour Line, which involved rerouting over the Eastern Freeway and terminating Harbour Line services at a deck on existing platforms 17 and 18 at CSMT. However, this plan was eventually scrapped.

Maharashtra

Drug dealer arrested in Mumbai with 1.5 kg of charas (cannabis resin)

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On October 24, Crime Branch Unit 9 (Bandra West, Mumbai) intensified its crackdown on drug peddlers, resulting in the arrest of an individual involved in the sale of narcotics. The police had received information that the accused was selling charas (cannabis resin) and other intoxicating substances from his residence. Acting on this intelligence and following the guidance of senior officers, a team from Crime Branch Unit 9—accompanied by independent witnesses (panches)—raided the premises on October 24. During the operation, 1.505 kilograms of charas were seized in accordance with legal procedures; the estimated value of the contraband is 15 million rupees (1.5 crore INR) based on international market rates.

A case has been registered in connection with this incident under the NDPS (Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Act. One individual, aged 40, has been arrested. Additionally, another person has been identified as a wanted suspect, and a search is currently underway to locate him.

This notable operation was carried out under the supervision of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner of Police Krishnakant Upadhyay, and Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) Nonath Dhole.

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Maharashtra

Lawrence Bishnoi gang shooters had practised shooting in the Aarey Colony forest before opening fire at Tiger Shroff’s residence.

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Following the firing incident involving Tiger Shroff, an investigation has revealed that a businessman in Pune and a film star in Mumbai were on Lawrence Bishnoi’s target list. The gang’s objective is to instill fear among the film industry and the business community in order to extort money—specifically, to collect protection money or ransoms. The primary goal of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang is not necessarily murder, but rather the creation of terror and fear within the film industry and among business circles.

Currently, 56 operatives of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang are incarcerated in various Mumbai jails; they have been linked to over 10 criminal incidents in Mumbai and Pune over the past 2–3 years. Targeting Bollywood is a key objective for the Lawrence gang, and they have been involved in conspiracies to target film actors specifically to spread fear and terror throughout the business community.

In the Tiger Shroff case, it has emerged that the shooters underwent firearms training in the Aarey Colony forest. A shepherd witnessed the shooters practicing and serves as an eyewitness; according to him, three to four individuals trained there, and he saw them firing weapons. New revelations continue to surface in the case involving Tiger Shroff, with the Crime Branch making significant progress in its investigation.

Weapons have also been recovered in connection with the matter. Furthermore, the interrogation of the shooters arrested by the police has led to the discovery of a link to Anil Pandit—a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang—with whom the shooters were in contact.

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Maharashtra

Major action by Mumbai ANC: Drug peddlers arrested.

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On October 25, the Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) of Mumbai claimed to have arrested individuals—who were also wanted in a murder case—while they were in possession of narcotics. During a patrol near the main gate of Shri Krishna Complex, opposite the National Park in Borivali West, Mumbai, the Ghatkopar unit of the ANC apprehended three individuals who were allegedly selling ‘MD’ (Mephedrone). Upon searching them, 1.028 kilograms of Mephedrone was recovered. The police registered a case (Kasturba Marg Police Station, Case No. 728/2026) under Sections 8(c) read with 22(c) and 29 of the NDPS Act, 1985. During the subsequent interrogation, it was revealed that the arrested individuals were also involved in a murder case. They had brought the narcotics from Nalasopara with the intent of selling them at this location.

The arrested individuals include a 28-year-old man, another 28-year-old man, and a 39-year-old man. A total of 1.028 kilograms of Mephedrone was seized from the three suspects.

This successful operation was carried out under the guidance of Police Commissioner Deven Bharti, Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime) Anil Kumbhare, Additional Commissioner Kant Upadhyay, and DCP Purnima Chougule-Shringi.

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