Railway infrastructure in Mumbai to get mega boost in December

aroosa.ahmed@hindustantimes.com

Extended suburban railway network, upgraded facilities, more services to increase capacity and cut delays, and seamless connectivity between eastern and western suburbs will soon become a reality as the Mumbai rail authority has set the ball rolling to start the Rs49,524-crore MUTP-3A (Mumbai Urban Transport Project) from December.

Major MUTP-3A proposals include CSMT-Panvel elevated corridor, procuring more air-conditioned trains, extension of harbour line up to Borivli, laying 5th and 6th line between Borivli and Virar, construction of Panvel-Virar suburban line and upgrading 16 suburban stations.

The Rs1,391-crore communication based traffic control (CBTC) project, which aims to increase the speed of trains on harbour line, is part of MUTP-3A. The railways has also earmarked Rs946 crore for upgradation of stations.

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which will execute the project, is in the final stages of drafting the proposal. The proposal will then go to the Railway Board and Niti Aayog for their approval.

The Union cabinet is likely to give green signal in August.

The project with an estimated cost of Rs49,524 crore was announced in the railway budget this year.

“We are drafting the proposal and will send it to the Railway Board this month. The final approval for the project is expected by August. We will start the tendering process and work by December,” said a senior MRVC official, who did not want to be named.

The MRVC will first undertake work on the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Panvel elevated rail corridor.

“Work on the elevated rail corridor will be the first one to be taken up. Projects in Navi Mumbai can be undertaken later as land is available along the existing tracks,” said the official.

The railway ministry plans to complete all MUTP-3A projects by 2022.

However, MRVC officials have stated that the deadline is ambitious and may have to be extended.

“2022 is way too early for the projects. The projects will be in full swing by 2022, but completion might take some time,” said another MRVC official, on condition of anonymity.

The project will be equally funded by the state and railways, which have already undertaken MUTP-3 worth Rs10,900 crore.