The Central Government has initiated the land acquisition process for two major railway infrastructure projects in Maharashtra’s Raigad district under Phase III of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP).
The notification covers the proposed Panvel Chord Rail Line Project as well as the Panvel-Chowk Rail Line Doubling section. The acquired land will be used for the construction, maintenance, management and operation of the projects under Central Railway.
The Panvel Chord Rail Line Project involves the development of a 34-km-long chord railway line designed to establish additional connectivity between the Jasai-Karjat, Jasai-Roha and Roha-Karjat sections. The new infrastructure is expected to strengthen rail connectivity in the rapidly developing Mumbai Metropolitan Region and surrounding areas.
The 17.28-km Panvel-Chowk section forms part of the Panvel-Karjat Rail Line Doubling project being undertaken under MUTP Phase III. The doubling work is aimed at expanding railway capacity and improving train movement along the important suburban and regional corridor.
MUTP Phase III includes several infrastructure initiatives aimed at upgrading Mumbai’s suburban rail network and improving passenger connectivity across the region.
Among the key components is the 64-km quadrupling of the Virar-Dahanu railway section, which is intended to increase capacity on the Western Railway corridor. The programme also includes the development of approximately 28 km of new suburban railway tracks between Panvel and Karjat.
Other planned works under the phase include measures to control trespassing across 36 priority mid-section locations on the Central and Western Railway networks. The programme also provides for the procurement of additional rolling stock to support the expansion of suburban train services.
Another major component is the proposed elevated rail link between Airoli and Kalwa, which is expected to improve connectivity between important suburban areas in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
The latest land acquisition notification marks an important procedural step towards taking the Panvel rail projects forward. Once implemented, the planned infrastructure is expected to enhance railway capacity, improve connectivity and support the growing transportation requirements of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and Raigad district.
Source: Indian Infrastructure
