The original cost of the project was estimated to be Rs 54,777 crore. On March 1, DNA had reported Railway's request to the cabinet to approve MUTP-3A before Code of conduct is enforced in the news.
The Cabinet had good and bad news for Mumbai's commuters on Thursday: It approved Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3A at a revised cost of Rs 33,690 crore that will be completed in 5 years. However, it has also shot down two projects that would bring relief to the overburdened Harbour line — the proposed fast line on the CST-Panvel route and the new suburban rail corridor between Panvel and Virar.
The original cost of the project was estimated to be Rs 54,777 crore. On March 1, DNA had reported Railway's request to the cabinet to approve MUTP-3A before Code of conduct is enforced in the news.
The approval also means Railways can procure more AC rakes, albeit a smaller number than the one proposed. Instead of 210 at the cost of Rs 15,802 crore, the city will now get 191 AC rakes. The average cost of each rake is pegged at Rs 82 crore. A new, more efficient signalling system called CBTC, which costs Rs 5,928 crore, has also got the green light.
The new Rs 12,331 crore CSMT-Panvel line was supposed to service about 12 lakh daily commuters. Similarly, the 70-km-long Virar-Panvel corridor would have connected the Mumbai Metropolitan region sideways. Both projects had the state's go-ahead and were only awaiting cabinet approval. Sources say they got the axe in favour of the upcoming Metro rail projects.
"The government has asked us to review and study these two rail corridors," said a senior Railway official, "Nineteen AC locals, which were to operate on the Virar-Panvel corridor, have been cut from the list."
On Track, finally
- Rs 826 cr Harbour line extension to Goregaon, Borivali
- Rs 2,184 cr for 5-6 lines on Borivali-Virar corridor
- Rs 1,759 cr for 4th line on Kalyan-Asangaon stretch
- Rs 1,510 cr for 3 to 4 lines on Kalyan-Badlapur stretch
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