# Central Railway zone

Central Railway (abbreviated CR) is one of the 19 zones of Indian Railways. Its headquarters are located at Mumbai. It has the distinction of operating the first passenger railway line in India, which opened from Mumbai to Thane on 16 April 1853 (171 years ago) (1853-04-16).

## History

The railway zone was formed on 5 November 1951 by grouping several government-owned railways, including the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, the Scindia State Railway of the former princely state of Gwalior, Nizam State Railway, Wardha Coal State Railway and the Dholpur State Railway.
The Central Railway zone formerly included large parts of Madhya Pradesh and part of southern Uttar Pradesh, which made it the largest railway zone in India in terms of area, track mileage and staff. These areas became the new West Central Railway zone in April 2003.
The Central Railway General Manager's official residence (erstwhile GIPR agent's residence), 'Glenogle'-a Grade II-B heritage bungalow, is located on Bhausaheb Hire Marg (Mount Pleasant Road), adjacent to the Maharashtra Chief minister's official residence 'Varsha' in Malabar Hill, Mumbai.

## Routes
### Main/Long Routes of Central Railway

** Mumbai CSMT-Kalyan-Igatpuri-Nashik road-Manmad-Jalgaon-Bhusawal
** Bhusawal-Akola-Badnera-Wardha-Nagpur
** Mumbai CSMT-Kalyan-Karjat-Lonavala-Pune
** CSMT-Kurla-Panvel
** Pune-Daund-Solapur-Wadi-Tandur
** Pune-Satara-Sangli-Miraj-Kolhapur
** Miraj-Pandharpur-Kurduvadi-Barshi-Osmanabad-Latur-Latur Road
** Ballarshah-Majri-Sevagram (formerly Wardha East Jn.)-Nagpur-Amla-Itarsi
One of the oldest and important railway project of central railway zone was Kalyan-Ahmednagar railway project, which was in planning stage since British regime. It was referred to as 3rd ghat project. A survey was carried out in 1973, 2000, 2006, 2014 etc, and the project was in the Railways Board pink book in 2010, but unfortunately the project was not started. The alignment length of this project was 184 km, and it could have been the shortest route for Marathwada, Andhra and Telangana. The major challenge for this project is 18.96 km long tunnel in Malshej Ghat section. Malshej Kriti samiti is following for Kalyan-Ahmednagar railway project. Kalyan-Murbad section which is first phase of this project is already under survey stage.

### Branch/Short routes of Central Railway

** Mumbai CSMT-Wadala Road-Bandra-Goregaon
** Thane-Vashi-Panvel
** Daund-Manmad
** Bhusawal-Khandwa
** Amravati-Narkher
** Vasai Road-Diva-Panvel
** Panvel-Karjat
** Badnera-Amravati
** Daund-Baramati
** Puntamba-Shirdi
** Chalisgaon-Dhule
** Pachora-Jamner (NG)
** Pulgaon-Arvi (NG)
** Murtijapur-Yavatmal (NG)
** Murtijapur-Achalapur (NG)
** Jalamb-Khamgaon
** Majri-Pimpalkutti
** Neral-Matheran
** Amla-Chhindwara

### Utilization
#### High

* Mumbai-Thane-Kalyan-Karjat/Kasara sub-urban section
* Mumbai-Bhusawal-Akola-Nagpur
* Mumbai-Bhusawal-Khandwa
* Itarsi-Nagpur-Sevagram-Majri-Balharshah
* Mumbai-Pune-Daund-Solapur-Kalaburgi-Wadi
* Mumbai-Pune-Miraj-Hubli-Bengaluru-Chennai
* Daund-Ahmednagar-Manmad

#### Low

* Puntamba-Sai nagar Shirdi
* Miraj-Kurduwadi
* Latur-Kurduwadi

### Connections

Central railway zone connects to other Zones of Indian railways as at:

#### Western Railway Zone

Bandra, Goregaon, Dadar, Vasai Road

#### Konkan Railway Zone

* Roha

#### South Central Railway zone
##### Secunderabad railway division

* Balharshah
* Latur Road

##### Guntakal Railway Division

* Wadi Jn

##### Nanded railway division

* Pimpalkutti
* Akola Jn
* Khandwa Jn
* Ankai Jn (MMR-AWB-J-PBN-NED route)

#### South East Central Railway zone
##### Nagpur SEC railway division

* Nagpur Jn
* Chhindwara Jn

#### South Western Railway zone
##### Hubballi railway division

* Hotgi Jn - For Pune-Solapur-Vijayapura-Gadag line.
* Miraj Jn - For Miraj-Londa-Bangalore line

#### Western Central Railway zone
##### Bhopal division

* Itarsi Jn
* Khandwa Jn

### Matheran Hill Railway

Constructed in 1907, the narrow-gauge Matheran Hill Railway connects Neral on the Mumbai-Chennai main line with the hill station of Matheran in the Western Ghats, east of Mumbai. Neral is linked to Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus by frequent suburban trains. Steam engines have now been replaced by diesel locomotives. The route is noted for its sharp curves.

## Divisions

* Mumbai CR railway division
* Solapur railway division
* Bhusawal railway division
* Pune railway division
* Nagpur CR railway division

## Organisation

The central railway covers a large part of the state of Maharashtra and small part of Southern Madhya Pradesh and North-Eastern Karnataka. It is organized into five divisions: Mumbai, Bhusawal, Nagpur, Solapur and Pune. The details of the network by division are as follows

### Mumbai Division

* Mumbai CSMT-Dadar-Kurla-Thane
** Mumbai CSMT-Wadala Road-Kurla (Harbour Line)
*** Wadala Road-Bandra-Goregaon (Inclusive)
** Kurla-Trombay (Goods)
** Kurla-Vashi-Nerul-Panvel (Harbour Line)
** Thane-Vashi-Panvel (Trans-Harbour line)
*** Thane-Turbhe-Vashi (Trans-Harbour Line)
*** Thane-Turbhe-Nerul (Trans-Harbour Line)
* Thane-Diva Jn-Kalyan
** Diva Jn-Panvel-Roha
*** Panvel-Jasai-Uran
**** Jasai-JNPT
** Diva Jn-Vasai Road
* Kalyan Jn-Kasara-Igatpuri (Inclusive)
* Kalyan Jn-Karjat Jn-Lonavala (Inclusive)
** Neral Jn-Matheran (narrow-gauge)
** Karjat Jn-Panvel
** Karjat Jn-Khopoli
Malshej Kriti Samiti is following for Kalyan-Ahmednagar railway project. Kalyan-Murbad section which is first phase of this project is already under survey stage.

### Pune Division

* Lonavala-Pune Jn-Daund Jn
* Pune Jn-Satara-Sangli-Miraj Jn-Kolhapur
* Daund Jn -Baramati
* Phaltan - Baramati ( to be completed by 2022)
* Pune Jn-Rajgurunagar-Sangamner-Sinnar-Nashik Road (Project Scrapped)
* Karad-Chiplun (scrapped)

### Nagpur Division

* Badnera Jn (Exclude)-Pulgaon Jn-Wardha Jn-Butibori Jn-Nagpur Jn
** Pulgaon Jn-Arvi (narrow-gauge)
** Butobori Jn-Umrer
* Sewagram-Majri Jn-Tadali Jn-Chandrapur-Balharshah Jn (include)
** Wardha Jn-Chitoda Jn (on Sewagram-Balharshah line)
*** Majri Jn-Wani Jn-pimpalkutti
** Wani Jn-Rajur
** Tadali Jn-Ghugus
** Balharshah Jn-Chanda Fort
* Nagpur-Amla Jn-Itarsi Jn (exclude)
** Amla Junction-Chhindwara(exclude)

### Solapur Division

* Manmad (exclude)-Ahmednagar-Daund Jn
* Daund Jn-Solapur
* Miraj Jn (exclude)-Pandharpur-Kurudwadi Jn-Barshi-Latur-Latur Road (excluding)
* SolapurJn-Hotgi Jn-Gulbarga-Wadi Jn (Include)

### Bhusawal Division

* Manmad-Indore (project scrapped)
* Bhusawal-Badnera-Nagpur (exclude)
* Bhusawal-Khandwa-Itarsi (exclude)
* Jalgaon-Nandurbar-Udhna (exclude)
* Chalisgaon-Dhule
* Khamgaon - Jalamb
* Pachora-Jamner
* Manmad-Aurangabad (exclude)
* Manmad-Daund (exclude)
* Mandmad-Nasik-Igatpuri (exclude)
* Akola-Nanded (exclude)
The number of stations category-wise under these five railway divisions under the Central Railway Zones are as follows (as of 2008) : A-1 : 7, A : 20, B : 10, C : 80, D : 45, E : 221, F : 93, Total : 476

## Ongoing projects
### New lines

* Solapur Jn -Tuljapur- Osmanabad. (New Rail Line survey completed but work yet to start)
* Nanded - Yavatmal - Wardha. (Work under process)
* Ashti-Parli Vaijnath line (work under progress). Ahmednagar-Ashti 67 km completed. (Project :- Ahmedanagar- Beed - Parli)
* Phaltan - Baramati (approved, but work yet to start)
* Kolhapur-Vaibhavwadi line (survey under progress)
* Aurangabad-Shani shingnapur-Ahmednagar line (survey completed, but work yet to start)
* Khamgaon-Jalna (survey completed, but work yet to start)
* Latur-Latur Road-Ahmedpur-Nanded (survey completed, but work yet to start)
* Latur Road-Jalkot-Mukhed-Biloli-Bodhan (announced but not yet taken up)
* Latur-Ausa-Nilanga-Omerga-Aland-Gulbarga (survey under progress)

### Doubling

* Bhigvan-Gulbarga (Doubling completed)
* Pune-Miraj-Londa-Hubli (Doubling in progress)
* Panvel-Karjat
* Karjat-Khopoli

### Tripling

* Kalyan-Kasara
* Kalyan-Karjat
* Sewagram Jn-Balharshah Jn

### Quadrupling

* Nagpur-Wardha
* Manmad-Igatpuri

### Hexupling

* Mumbai CSMT-Kalyan

## Trains

Some of the major trains operated by Central Railway zone are as follows:
| Number | Train Name | Starting Station | Terminating Station |
| 22221/22222 | Mumbai CSMT–Hazrat Nizamuddin Rajdhani Express | Mumbai CSMT | Hazrat Nizamuddin. |
| 12123/12124 | Deccan Queen | Mumbai CSMT | Pune Jn. |
| 12137/12138 | Punjab Mail | Mumbai CSMT | Firozpur Cantt. |
| 12859/12860 | Gitanjali Express | Mumbai CSMT | Howrah Jn. |
| 12071/12072 | Mumbai CSMT-Jalna Jan Shatabdi Express | Mumbai CSMT | Jalna. |
| 12321/12322 | Howrah Mail via Prayagraj Chheoki | Mumbai CSMT | Howrah Jn. |
| 12809/12810 | Howrah–Mumbai Mail via Nagpur | Mumbai CSMT | Howrah Jn. |
| 11035/11036 | Sharavati Express | Dadar | Mysuru Jn. |
| 11085/11086 | Lokmanya Tilak Terminus - Madgaon AC Double Decker Express | Kurla LTT | Madgaon Jn. |
| 12289/12290 | Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus - Nagpur Duronto Express | Mumbai CSMT | Nagpur. |
| 22107/221078 | Latur Express | Mumbai CSMT | Latur. |
| 11301/11302 | Udyan Express | Mumbai CSMT | KSR Bengaluru City |
| 12025/12026 | Pune - Secunderabad Shatabdi Express | Pune | Secunderabad Jn. |
| 12051/12052 | CSMT Madgaon Jan Shatabdi Express | CSMT | Madgaon Jn. |
| 12113/12114 | Pune–Nagpur Garib Rath Express | Pune | Nagpur Jn. |
| 12115/12116 | Siddheshwar Express | Mumbai CSMT | Solapur |
| 22119/22120 | Mumbai CSMT - Madgaon Tejas Express | Mumbai CSMT | Madgaon |
| 12105/12106 | Vidarbha Express | Mumbai CSMT | Gondia Jn. |
| 11039/11040 | Maharashtra Express | Kolhapur SCSMT | Gondia Jn. |
| 12109/12110 | Panchvati Express | Mumbai CSMT | Manmad |
| 11061/11062 | Pawan Express | Lokmanya Tilak Terminus | Jaynagar. |
| 11023/11024 | Sahyadri Express | Mumbai CSMT | Kolhapur SCSMT |
| 11027/11028 | Mumbai Chennai Mail | Mumbai CSMT | Chennai Central |

## Loco sheds

* Electric Loco Shed, Ajni
* Electric Loco Shed, Kalyan
* Electric Loco Shed, Bhusawal
* Diesel Loco Shed, Pune
* Diesel Loco Shed, Kalyan
* Diesel Loco Shed, Kurla
* Electric Loco Shed, Daund