MUTP-3: State deal to give fillip to MMR’s rly connect

In a boost to suburban railway connectivity between the city and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) through a new suburban railway corridor, the Maharashtra government

In a boost to suburban railway connectivity between the city and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) through a new suburban railway corridor, the Maharashtra government and Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) on Thursday signed a financial agreement for projects under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3.

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The projects, for which the Subsidiary Finance Agreement (SFA) has been signed, include a new suburban railway corridor between Panvel and Karjat railway stations for an estimated cost of ₹2,783 crore, procurement of 47 air-conditioned (AC) local trains worth ₹3,491 crore; quadrupling of railway line between Virar and Dahanu railway station for ₹3,578 crore; elevated railway corridor between Airoli and Kalwa railway stations for ₹476 crore; control on midsection trespassing for ₹551 crore; and technical support for ₹69 crore.

The overall cost of the project is ₹10,947 crore and will be funded on a 50:50 ratio between the state government and Indian Railways.

MUTP-3 got nod from the Centre in 2016 and has a completion deadline of 2022. The state government had, in August 2019, termed the projects under MUTP-3 as essential to the state.

“A financial agreement was signed with the state government. It includes projects of MUTP-3,” said RS Khurana, chairman and managing director of MRVC.

The agreement will also involve funding from the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), City and Industrial Development Corporation (Cidco).

The work on midsection trespass control on the railway lines has started and MRVC has started the process of tendering for other projects.

Land acquisition for the projects started in 2019 while on-ground work is likely to start after monsoon this year.