The Maharashtra government has approved projects worth INR 33,690 crore for major improvements to the Mumbai suburban railway network, which is considered as lifeline of the financial capital. The developments will improve connectivity of Mumbai’s suburban rail system and the adjoining metropolitan region.
The Western Railway will lay the fifth and sixth lines from Borivali to Virar, while the Central Railway will work on the third and fourth lines between Kalyan and Badlapur, spanning 15 km. Additionally, the extension of the Harbour Line from Goregaon to Borivali, spanning 7 km, was also approved.
The Mumbai Suburban Railway is an extensive network of commuter rail services and inner suburban railway lines, spanning 390 km that connect MMR to its surrounding suburbs. With 2,342 trains running every day, the system caters to the daily transportation needs of a large number of commuters.
This suburban railway system is considered to be one of the most heavily trafficked networks in the world, with a daily average ridership of over 7.5 million passengers, which accounts for roughly 40 percent of the daily commuters on the Indian Railways network. The network is managed by two primary operators, namely the Central Railway and the Western Railway.
Earlier in March, six new railway stations were approved to be added to the Mumbai local network as they approach the final stages of completion. These include five stations on the new extension between Uran and Belapur, namely — Gavhanpada, Ranjanpada, Nhava-Sheva, Dronagiri and Uran. Additionally, Dighe station will also start operations on the Thane-Vashi corridor.
