Railway Board Chairman Ashwani Lohani to discuss future projects over the next few days
Files of the multi-crore Bandra-Virar elevated rail corridor, proposed almost a decade back and one that has seen several discussions, are likely to finally close once and for all. The project's fate will be decided over the next few days as Chairman of the Railway Board, Ashwani Lohani — who is next in command to the railway minister — discusses future projects for the city.
Union Railway and Power Minister Piyush Goyal is likely to attend this meeting. Projects discussed at this meeting will most likely be added to the Rs 11,440 crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-3.
According to highly placed sources, other projects — like extending the Harbour line to Borivali and construction of the fifth and sixth lines to Virar — will likely replace the Rs 19,500-crore Bandra-Virar elevated rail corridor.
Currently, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Andheri Harbour line is expected to be extended till Goregaon anytime this month. This has been further planned to go all the way to Borivali in the next phase. Meanwhile, work on the fifth and sixth lines between Mumbai Central and Borivali has been underway for the past several years now. After locals protested the fifth line's obstruction to a graveyard, it is being redesigned and built between Santacruz and Mahim via Bandra Terminus.
According to sources, there are plans to extend the fifth and sixth lines to Virar which would allow for the bifurcation of long-distance trains from suburban local trains.
"As of now these projects have been identified in place of the Bandra-Virar elevated rail corridor which shall be presented to the Railway Board," said a Railway official on the condition of anonymity.
The projects under MUTP-3 include the Airoli-Kalwa elevated corridor that aims to decongest Thane station, Panvel-Karjat rail corridor which will connect the two ends of Central Railway's Main and Harbour lines, quadrupling of Virar-Dahanu thus creating a separate dedicated corridor for express trains from Mumbai Central. Rail authorities have also proposed adding 47 new AC rakes to the network.
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