Work on longest metro rail from Virar to Alibaug kicks off

The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) is conducting a feasibility study for a 136km metro rail project from Virar to Alibaug in Mumbai. The project is part of the Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor and is expected to be completed by 2030. The metro line will connect important suburbs and will run parallel to the multimodal corridor. A detailed project report will be prepared once the feasibility study is complete. The location of the car depot is yet to be decided. The state government may hand over the project to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Mumbai: The Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) has started a feasibility study for the 136km long metro rail from Virar to Alibaug which is said to be the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR)’s longest metro line project. This is the first time that MSRDC, which otherwise specialises in the construction of roads, bridges and flyovers, is taking up a metro rail project.

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The metro rail is part of the ₹55,000 crore Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor, which is a 14-lane expressway designed for a speed of 120 kmph. The project is expected to be completed by 2030. The construction will be done in 2 phases. Phase 1 – a 98.5-km highway between Navghar and Balavali and Phase 2 – 1 29.9-km highway between Balavali and Alibaug. The project is named ‘multimodal corridor’ because it will incorporate various modes of transportation like roads, rail and metro to create an efficient transport network.

According to sources, the metro line from Navghar near Virar to Alibaug that is expected to have at least 40 stations along the route connecting two important suburbs of MMR will run parallel to the multimodal corridor. “A detailed project report will also be prepared once the initial feasibility study is complete in 6-8 months. The metro line will connect the proposed Navi Mumbai airport and JNPA,” said an official from MSRDC.

Sources said a consultant is being appointed for this purpose. Although the project is part of the multimodal corridor, the authorities will assess if any additions in the cost, route and other details need to be incorporated in the study. Initially, the metro line was to start from Kharbao in Bhiwandi to Alibag.

“It’s better to have a suburban rail line on long-distance routes. An elevated metro line will also be at least three times costlier than a suburban line, which is again a waste of public money. The suburban line can not only be connected with the existing rail system at Virar and Pen but also cater to freight trains,” said AV Shenoy, transport expert and member of Mumbai Mobility Forum.

The decision on the location of the car depot for this metro line, which will strengthen the connectivity in areas of Vasai-Virar, Bhiwandi, Kalyan, Uran, Pen and Alibag, is yet to be taken. The feasibility study undertaken by MSRDC comes at a time when the state government is looking at the possibility of handing the Virar-Alibaug Multimodal Corridor project and construction of the metro line over to MMRDA as they specialise in implementing metro rail lines.

MMRDA authorities have planned a web of 337 kms of metro rail lines across MMR which doesn’t include the proposed line on the Virar-Alibaug route.