Vasai-Panvel track nod this month

MUMBAI: The Vasai-Panvel suburban rail corridor is likely to get the go-ahead from the Expanded Board of Railways (EBR) — the central agency made up of senior officials

MUMBAI: The Vasai-Panvel suburban rail corridor is likely to get the go-ahead from the Expanded Board of Railways (EBR) — the central agency made up of senior officials of the railway ministry, finance ministry and The National Institution for Transforming India (NITI) Ayog — by the end of September. The railway link is expected to improve connectivity across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

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This is fourth suburban rail project — after the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) III — to receive the go-ahead from EBR within a month.

The 74km corridor worth Rs 5,600 crore will have 10 suburban stations and will connect Navi Mumbai directly to the Vasai-Virar-Dahanu section. The project is expected to be complete by 2021.

Currently, more than 2.5 lakh commuters use the existing two railway lines, on which long-distance and goods trains operate.

The Central Railways also operates around 14 Diesel Electric Multiple Units and Mainline Electric Multiple Unit services, which are often overcrowded. The frequency is poor as one service plys every two hours.

“The corridor will augment passenger capacity to a great extent in Mumbai. The will be tabled before the EBR within 10 days,” said Manoj Singh, adviser (transport), NITI Ayog.

For 70 lakh suburban commuters, the MUTP III and the VasaiPanvel corridor could translate into an easier, faster and more comfortable commute by the year 2021.

The project could also open up parcels of land for development.