MUMBAI, Nov. 11 -- Central Railway (CR) is set to discontinue 10 level-crossing (LC) gates between Kalyan and Karjat in an effort to improve the punctuality of suburban local trains. Each LC gate currently forces trains to halt for three to seven minutes to allow road vehicles to cross, leading to cumulative delays along the corridor. According to CR officials, the gates to be shut include four at Vangani, one in Neral, three in Bhivpuri and two in Karjat. In their place, 10 road overbridges (ROBs) will be constructed. All the LC gates lie on the suburban rail corridor and impede the smooth movement of trains, particularly services coming from Khopoli and Karjat towards CSMT. With the closure of the gates, trains on the Kalyan-Karjat/Khopoli section are expected to save eight to ten minutes on average. The new ROBs are estimated to cost around Rs.236 crore. CR has already floated tenders for the closure of the LC gates and construction of the bridges, and contractors are expected to be finalised by December. Officials said the gates, though smaller than the one at Diva, still force unnecessary halts, with the impact most visible during peak hours and during the recent remodelling of Karjat station. At present, at least one LC gate at Vangani and Bhivpuri tends to remain open at any given time, slowing down train movement. Passenger associations have long demanded the closure of these "age-old" gates due to the rising number of vehicles using them. "The halt time of two to three minutes is no longer sufficient for the increased road traffic, and these stoppages ultimately delay trains," said Jitendra Vishe, member of the Federation of Suburban Railway Passengers Association. One of the busiest points on the network remains Diva, where about 70-75% of CR's 894 daily suburban services halt. The LC gate there opens around 39 times daily, significantly affecting train schedules. CR currently operates 240 suburban services daily on the CSMT-Karjat corridor. There are also plans to convert all local trains on the Thane-Kalyan-Karjat/Khopoli route to 15-car formations, increasing carrying capacity by 25%....