Rail corridor to link business hub to coastal line on anvil

The National Railway Passenger Consultative Committee (NRUCC) has chalked out a multi-link rail corridor to connect business hubs and Metro lines in Mumbai and a coastal rail line and sent their proposals to the ministry of railways.

NRUCC member from Western Railway zone Shailesh Goyal said that what Mumbai’s two rail lines required was more integration and access to business hubs like Bandra-Kurla Complex, Nariman Point and Andheri.

NRUCC is a national body affiliated with the ministry of railways, representing passengers from each of the seventeen zones of Indian Railways.

“The existing routes should be diverted to business districts and should be defined with colour codes like silver, blue, red like the Delhi Metro. This could ease out the load on existing stations and need for feeder routes,” Goyal said.

“Mumbai has a great harbour and a coastal link along with the city’s shoreline, integrated with the water transport too would be a great idea. The railways need to think out of the box to solve commuting problems of Mumbai,” he added.

Local railway officials said they had already moved ahead with the existing Mumbai Urban Transport Projects and would strive to complete them by their deadlines.

“It is true that integrated transport is the need of the hour, but the railways have their limitations and say restricted to railway area. Any bigger planning would require involvement of all stakeholders, including the state government,” a senior official added.