As part of Central Railway’s (CR) ambitious strategy to upgrade and expand the city’s suburban network, Mumbai may soon see the opening of its first underground railway line. The Central Railway (CR) plans to build its fifth and sixth lines via an underground tunnel between Parel/Currey Road and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CMST) in South Mumbai, according to a story in the Hindustan Times. The project’s first phase, which covers 10.1 km from Kurla to Parel, is presently underway.
The Kurla-Parel-CSMT length, the fifth and sixth railway lines, will be built as part of a bigger project in phase two. Phase 2 is a 7.4-kilometer route that connects CSMT and Parel. The goal of this project is to reduce traffic in Mumbai’s congested suburban streets.The results of technical and financial feasibility studies will determine the ultimate decision, while officials from Central Railway and the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) have started first talks.
The underground rail line would cost about Rs 3,000 crore if it were permitted. Awaiting the outcome of the thorough evaluations, the precise implementing agency has not yet been determined. Notwithstanding the difficulties that lie ahead, officials think that this action is essential to fulfilling Mumbai’s expanding transport needs and relieving the strain on its overloaded rail system. The underground rail line would cost about Rs 3,000 crore if it were permitted.
Awaiting the outcome of the thorough evaluations, the precise implementing agency has not yet been determined. Notwithstanding the difficulties that lie ahead, officials think that this action is essential to fulfilling Mumbai’s expanding transport needs and relieving the strain on its overloaded rail system. The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India chastised Indian Railways earlier in April for the protracted hold-up in finishing the Central Railway’s fifth and sixth line project between Kurla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).
Even after 17 years, the project, which started in 2008, is still unfinished. Since then, it has been separated into two stages: Phase 1, which runs from Kurla to Parel and is presently undergoing development, and Phase 2, which runs from Parel to CSMT.
Source: The Free Press Journal
