MUTP-4 focus on spurring development in ‘Third Mumbai’

Mumbai: The state government and the railways are working jointly on identifying rail corridors that will spur development in ‘Third Mumbai’, a 323-square kilometre area adjoining the upcoming Navi Mumbai airport and the Atal Setu. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) will build these rail corridors under the fourth phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), which aims at improving transport infrastructure in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), sources in the railways told Hindustan Times.

“MUTP-4 will be futuristic. The broad vision will be on rail mobility and expansion of existing rail networks as well as development of new routes,” said a senior railway official who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The project is still at a nascent stage and a consultant will be appointed soon to prepare a comprehensive plan and propose new rail corridors for the growth of ‘Third Mumbai’, officially named Karnala-Sai-Chirner (KSC) New Town, the official noted. “The plan will be drawn up after speaking with Cidco (City and Industrial Development Corporation), which is building a metro rail network in Navi Mumbai.”

Rail network

The thrust of MUTP-4 will be on improvement of connectivity between KSC New Town, Mumbai and Navi Mumbai and extending existing local train routes to areas experiencing rapid growth, said senior railway officials.

“New rail corridors will be planned in such a way that they will integrate with upcoming metro rail lines. We will also explore the possibility of developing access-controlled suburban railway stations, similar to metro stations,” a senior railway official told HT.

Currently, officials from the state government and the railways are finalising the terms of reference for the project, based on which a consultant will be hired to prepare the plan.

“It will take around 2-3 years just to prepare the plan as it will have several greenfield rail corridors and railway stations,” said the railway official quoted earlier.

Infra push

Earlier this month, the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) signed memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth ₹4.07 lakh crore for developing infrastructure in the MMR, with a focus on ‘Third Mumbai’. The MoUs aim to develop ‘Third Mumbai’ as a robust technology centre that will include data centres and global capability centres.

The MMRDA has also secured non-binding lines of credit from premier financial institutions to facilitate infrastructure development in the area. Initiatives for which financial assistance has been secured include transport, housing, energy, infrastructure, multimodal connectivity, and smart urban development services.

“The new town will be planned with emphasis on eco-friendly development, addressing the needs of a growing population,” said an MMRDA official. “It will elevate urban liveability and help realise the goal of making the MMR a $300 billion economy by 2030.”

Last week, the MMRDA tied up with a Korean delegation to accelerate work on Third Mumbai. “The interaction was focused on enhancing cooperation in smart city development, green mobility solutions, modernisation of infrastructure, AI-based urban management, fintech zones, and smart housing clusters,” said an MMRDA official.

Third Mumbai is likely to have smart transit-oriented development zones, mixed-use townships, tech parks, industrial clusters, logistics parks, education hubs, data centres, fintech incubation hubs, and affordable housing, said MMRDA sources.