WR faces contempt over absence of trains on Virar-Dahanu route

Western Railways is likely to face contempt of court proceedings after failing to start direct local train services between suburban stations of Virar and Dahanu here by March this year, as promised to Bombay High Court.
WR had told the High Court in April last year that it would start the train services from Virar to Dahanu by March 31 this year. However, till date, the services have not commenced.
The assurance was given to the High Court during the hearing of a petition filed by Rajkumar Chorge, a corporator from Vasai and Virar Municipal Corporation.
Chorge has now sent a legal notice to the Western Railways stating they have violated the order of the High Court wherein the court had taken on record the assurance given by the Railways.

The notice states the WR should start EMU (electric multiple unit) services as per their assurance to the high court within 15 days of receiving the notice, failing which Chorge "shall be constrained to file contempt petition" in the High Court.
The corporator had filed a public interest litigation in August 2011 seeking direction to the railways to start suburban services between Virar and Dahanu. Presently, direct trains ply only up to Virar, after which commuters have to take shuttle services which are insufficient.

The Western Railways, in an affidavit dated April 19, 2012 told the High Court that conversion from DC to AC traction has been completed and whenever adequate rakes are made available, the existing services on Virar-Dahanu Road section will be converted into EMU services.

The affidavit stated that the work in question would be completed during the course of financial year 2012-2013 following which High Court disposed of the PIL.
According to Chorge, the plan to extend local trains till Dahanu was proposed way back in 2002 with the project was to be completed by 2007.