End of an era: Mumbai bids goodbye to last DC local
On Saturday, the last rake was all decked up, decorated with lights and flowers to mark the end of the DC local trains era in the country.
Train Start Kurla To CST Grand Farewell to Last DC Local After 91 Year of Service to Mumbai -Express Photo by Dilip Kagda
There may have been complaints that the yellow and maroon local trains are never punctual, but the last direct current (DC) local rake rolled into Kurla station very much on schedule — at 11.30 pm on Saturday.
Hundreds were on their toes peering over each other to catch a glimpse of the train making its last journey to the Chattrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) on harbour line. The first DC local rake first plied on the same line 91 years ago on February 3, 1925. The nine-coach train ran on 1,500 volts at 80 kmph then.
On Saturday, the last rake was all decked up, decorated with lights and flowers to mark the end of the DC local trains era in the country.
The tickets for the last ride were priced as high as Rs 10,000, with the funds collected set to be given to the drought-hit regions of Maharashtra. But, a source from the JJ School of Architecture who was overlooking the sale of the tickets said not a single ticket was sold.
The Central Railway had organised an elaborate cultural event that saw dance performances by various groups, dhols and bands playing across stations and a flash mob at CST. CR General Manager Sunil Kumar Sood was present at the event. There was an atmosphere of celebration and nostalgia with passengers and ticket collectors cherishing their last ride on this much-loved local train.
Cultural Secretary, Central Railway, Sulekha Doshi said, “This is a historical event for India. DC local trains will stop plying now and we had to make this last ride special for all passengers. The cultural team put in a lot of efforts for the same.”
A lot of people were emotionally attached to this rake. For many, the DC local was their first encounter with trains.
Also present on the occasion was the Mumbai chapter of The Indian Railways Fan Club Association (IRFCA), a group of rail enthusiasts that has more than 5,000 members.
The differentiating factor in the DC local train was highlighted by 35-year-old Nikhil Karunakaran, a part of IRFCA. He said, “I noticed DC local trains for the first time when I was a child and was intrigued by the way they functioned. Since then, I have been travelling by these trains and have a passion for them. The one thing that I will miss the most about this local train is the jerky ride that it assured, unlike the new and smooth running AC rakes, which added to its appeal for me.”
Connected by mobile application WhatsApp, these enthusiasts share information about the Mumbai local trains and visit different stations to explore them.
“Trains are my passion. I like observing and noticing things about the stations and different trains that ply on them. I feel happy that the Central Railway gave us the opportunity to decorate this historic DC local rake since this was the first kind of train that I saw and fell in love with in my childhood,” said Vijay Aravamudhan, another IRFCA member.
Anupam Dongre has been driving DC local rakes for 14 years and was the motorman of this historic train ride. He appeared emotional at the end of the ride. “I feel very fortunate for being a part of this historic moment. I always did my work honestly and the passengers of this train were extremely nice and supportive. This rake did not give me any problem and it has been a great journey till now. I feel sad knowing that I won’t get to see or drive this local train ever again. However, change is inevitable,” he said.
The last ride was followed by live conversion of the line to Alternating Current (AC). The new train started running on Sunday morning.
Speaking about the transition from DC to AC, Narendra Patil, Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Central Railway, said, “The new AC local rake is efficient and fast. It has a voltage of 25,000 and consists of 12 coaches, thus increasing the passenger carrying capacity by 33 per cent. The new rake will also reduce the technical issues that came with the DC local rake as well as the failure rate of the rakes. It will make travelling a lot faster since the AC local rake has a speed of 100 kmph. The number of substations will go down from 15 to 2, which translates into saving of immense amount of energy and space.”
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