Whats a fast, semi-fast, or double-fast train?
Mumbai suburban services have various such designations (not all of them official, but in wide use). A ‘fast’ train or ‘fast local’ is essentially one that is fast (runs express, skipping stops) until a certain station, and from that station onwards runs like a local, e.g., the Virar Fast runs express to Borivli, and thence is a local. The Karjat Fast is an express until Kalyan. The Ambarnath Fast Local goes CSTM – Dadar – Thane and thereafter stops at all stations on its route. The Borivli Fast Local used to run (1980s) from Jogeshwari to Bombay Central non-stop. The term ‘superfast local’ is sometimes used too, e.g., for trains that skip stations to reach Virar early in the down direction so they are available earlier to carry more passengers in the up direction later. On WR lines, the term ‘fast’ train is often applied to one that runs as an express until Bandra or Andheri. A ‘double-fast’ is one that runs as an express for an even longer stretch compared to the ‘fast’ services. On
