Age is just a number, she can keep Mumbai’s life on track even at 90

It was on February 3, 1925, when the first EMU train with four cars was flagged off by Sir Leslie Wilson

Written by Kalpana Verma

Mumbai | February 9, 2015 03:50 AM IST

3 min read

At 90, she is energetic and far more vibrant than she ever was in her prime days. Even in the ninth decade of her existence, the Electric Multiple Unit (EMU), or the self propelled local carriage, continues to maintain her youthful gait, pacing up the life of millions of Mumbaikars, who count on her speed and almost unfailing service.

This month, the Central Railway celebrated a reminder of the nine decades in a rather simple fashion with railway officials reminiscing its contribution to the city’s daily commute service in a press meet. It was on February 3, 1925, when the first EMU train with four cars was flagged off by Sir Leslie Wilson, the then Governor of Mumbai. The first service ran from the then Bombay VT (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Mumbai) to Kurla on Harbour Line of the Central Railway (CR). Back then CR ran 150 services carrying 2.2 lakh passengers daily. With 1,618 services carrying 41 lakh daily passengers now, the EMUs have aptly earned the title of Mumbai’s lifeline, reflecting the growing dependence of the financial capital of the country over the years.

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Central to the operation of Mumbai locals are motormen, who regard the EMUs like a living entity. Witness to the development and improvement in the trains over the years, many motormen, even after their retirement, continue to hold their ‘EMU days’ very close to their heart.

“When I joined CR in 1944, the EMUs were 19 years old. All the coaches, including the benches inside, were made of wood. Over the years, the coaches underwent a lot of changes for a better running and to accommodate more passengers. I am happy to see that what was once a six-car train has now been extended to 12-cars and 15-cars,’’ recalls 94-year-old retired motorman Joseph Antony Pinto.

Pinto, who worked as motorman for CR for 34 years, now lives a retired life in Goa with his wife and children. Proud of the EMUs for having come a long way over the years, Pinto conveys his warm wishes to the local trains on their birthday, still imagining the machines as living entities.

Retired motormen R C Khanna (84), who joined CR as an assistant driver in 1950, says, “In those days, the trains running on Harbor Line were more or less empty and the trains on the main line of CR were not crowded. However, over the years the trains have been carrying more people.

While I was working as an assistant driver for goods train, in 1965, I became a motormen. In those days, the EMUs were of six coaches and later two more coaches were added to ferry more passengers. Now, the trains are far better and modified beyond expectation. Even the punctuality of the trains has improved. In those days, the frequency was half-an-hour – something which is unimaginable today.’’

kalpana.verma@expressindia.com

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central railways EMU