The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has sent the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) IV list to the railway ministry in Delhi. The projects include the Panvel-Diva-Vasai, Kalyan to Karjat and Kasara quadrupling and the Virar to Dahanu quadrupling as well.
The list for the next phase of projects for the city was sent to the railway ministry more than a month ago as the railway budget is to be declared on February 26.
Officials said that the total amount estimated for the newest MUTP is Rs 25, 000 crore. “As we all know the Panvel- Diva-Vasai project was a part of the MUTP III plan earlier, but it was dropped as the state government was not convinced about its feasibility. The Railways has reintroduced as they think it’s an important project,” said the official.
The other projects are basically what the railway officials call ‘capacity augmentation’ in railway lingo. The railway track that splits from Kalyan towards Karjat and Kasara on the other parallel line will be quadrupled so as to increase the capacity for a larger number of trains. Similarly, the Virar-to-Dahanu section, which was inaugurated in 2013, has been proposed to get an additional two more tracks.
Officials said that the rise in passengers in these sections in the next five years would require the work to begin now. “All these sections have seen at least a 40 per cent increase in the number of commuters in the past two years so the suggestions are a result of the internal survey and ticket sales that we have conducted,” added the officials.
It is also expected that the work on 157 coaches for the new line between Seawoods and Uran will be initiated this year.
