Railways allocates ₹650 crore in Budget to improve Mumbai suburban network

In a boost to the suburban railway infrastructure in Mumbai, the Union budget has allocated ₹650 crore for railway projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)

In a boost to the suburban railway infrastructure in Mumbai, the Union budget has allocated ₹650 crore for railway projects under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).

₹316 crore has also been allocated for passenger amenities on the Central Railway in the Union Budget 2021-2022. (HT PHOTO)

The budgetary allocation is ₹100 crore more than that of last year’s Budget when ₹550 crore was allocated.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project has also received ₹7,897 crore as extra-budgetary resources (EBR) allocation. In the 2020-21 Budget, ₹5,000 crore was allocated for the project, and in the 2019-20 Budget, ₹1,000 crore was allocated for the high-speed rail corridor project.

The pink book, a document which contains the details of the funds allocated for different railway projects, was tabled by Union railway minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday in the Parliament.

The Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 2 has received ₹200 crore, MUTP 3 has received ₹300 crore, and MUTP 3A has received ₹150 crore in the 2021-2022 budget. In the 2020-2021 budget MUTP 2 had received ₹200 crore, MUTP 3 received ₹300 crore, and MUTP 3A had received ₹50 crore.

Critical railway projects under MUTP include a new suburban railway corridor between Panvel and Karjat railway stations, communication-based train control system(CBTC), procurement of 47 air-conditioned (AC) local trains, quadrupling of the railway line between Virar and Dahanu railway station, elevated railway corridor between Airoli and Kalva railway stations, and control on midsection trespassing.

“We are happy that like in the last few years, the fund allocation has been as desired and work will get a further boost. The projects are at different stages of implementation and will be completed with works as they proceed,” said RS Khurana, managing director, Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, which handles suburban railway infrastructure projects.

Further, ₹316 crore has also been allocated for passenger amenities on the Central Railway in the Union Budget 2021-2022, a ₹21-crore increase from the ₹295.6 crore for the same purpose in the 2020-2021 Budget. In the 2019-2020 Budget, ₹284 crore was allocated, and for 2018-2019, budgetary allocation was ₹204 crore.

“The net plan outlet, as compared to last year is higher, and it will help promote all railway infrastructure works and projects on the Central Railway,” said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, CR.

Replacement of 605 smart card-linked automatic ticket vending machines (ATVM) has been proposed in the Budget. Apart from the provision for a video surveillance system, the Budget also provides allocation for 115 escalators on the suburban railway stations on CR and 65 escalators for Western Railway (WR) stations.

Passenger associations have welcomed the budget and stated that a committee should be formed to monitor the progress of each project. “The increase in budgetary allocation is good as the projects can be completed with improved speed. We welcome the increased allocation but the railway ministry should direct forming a committee to monitor the progress of each project under MUTP,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.