New rail corridor to save 20 minutes’ trave time between CSMT and Karjat

Work on a 30-km-long suburban rail corridor connecting Karjat with Panvel has started with a bang

Work on a 30-km-long suburban rail corridor connecting Karjat with Panvel has started with a bang.

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Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) on Thursday carried out the controlled blasting activity for a 2.6-km tunnel, the longest on the line that will cut through the hills. This route will reduce the travel time from CSMT to Karjat by more than 20 minutes.

In all, there will be three tunnels and two rail overbridges on this double-line corridor which links the two farthest ends of Mumbai Metropolitan Region - Raigad and Navi Mumbai. Sources said tenders for the tunnels, which will have a total length of 3.12 km, had been awarded and the contract agreement was signed on February 14. The excavation for one of the tunnels has also begun.

Subhash Chand Gupta, chairman and managing director, MRVC, said this double-line corridor will provide an alternative route from Mumbai to Karjat via Panvel.

“It will also cut down the travel time between CSMT and Karjat due to the shorter distance than the existing route via Kalyan. This additional suburban corridor will also work as a catalyst for further economic development of fast developing Panvel, Karjat and NAINA (Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area),” Gupta said.

Sources said there have been issues in the past between MRVC and Central Railway over the construction of infrastructure at Panvel and Karjat stations. The authorities will also build road over/under bridges on the Mumbai-Pune Expressway, and one rail flyover each at Karjat and Panvel.