CM starts work to put rail upgrade project on track

It’s about making your daily commute better. And the chief minister has got down to work on that.

It’s about making your daily commute better. And the chief minister has got down to work on that.

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Chief Minister Ashok Chavan on Thursday begun preparations for the railway budget, reviewed works of the first two phases of Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) and gave the railways a nod to proceed with studies and surveys of various projects under the MUTP-III.

Some of the works under Phase III include local train services to Bhiwandi, a Thane-Virar rail corridor, a fast track on the Harbour line.

The railways will begin a feasibility study of projects that promise connectivity between the central and western railways
and expand suburban rail network to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Hindustan Times was first to report about the MUTP-3 project details in June 2008.

Chavan held a review meeting of all ongoing transport projects on Thursday.

“He conducted an assessment of all railway projects, not only for Mumbai, but for the entire state so he can prepare on demands from the railway budget,” an official who attended the meet said. “He also approved studies to be done under MUTP-III.”

Chavan also agreed to partially finance running of more 15-car trains on Western Railway.

He said various suburban rail projects under MUTP’s first two phases be monitored closely for completion vis-à-vis targets.

“The government’s active involvement has given a boost to the suburban railway projects in the city,” said P.C. Sehgal, managing director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation who attended the meeting.

Mumbai Urban Transport Project is a three-phase project to upgrade the city’s rail and road infrastructure.

While the Rs 4,000-crore Phase I started in 2004 is 70 per cent complete and will end in December 2010, work on the Rs 5,300-crore Phase II started in 2008 and is slated for completion by 2015. Phase III is set to begin after that.