Rlys to fast-track work on Panvel terminus

THE RAILWAYS WILL PROCURE 40 AC LOCAL TRAINS FOR THE CITY. THE CENTRAL RAILWAY WILL SEE 100 PER CENT ELECTRIFICATION BY 2019

MUMBAI: After inaugurating the 12-km rail corridor between Nerul-belapur and Kharkopar on Sunday, the Railways have now shifted their focus on revamping Panvel railway station and expediting work on the outstation terminus there.

“We have allotted ₹60,000 to ₹65,000 crore in the budget for the development of railways in the city. In the next four-and-ahalf years, we plan to change the face of the suburban commute by upgrading connectivity to Navi Mumbai and Mumbai. This would mean smoother commute for passengers,” said minister of railways Piyush Goyal during the inauguration in Kharkopar.

The revamp and the terminus would not just ease the burden on the Central Railway’s (CR) other outstation terminuses at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), Dadar and Kalyan, but it will also address the needs of Navi Mumbai’s growing population.

The work on the terminus is going on at Panvel and the CR plans to open the first phase in 2019. The outstation terminus will have subways, lounges, escalators and a parking facility. Three platforms and a maintenance depot are also slated to be built.

The CR is also working on connecting the harbour line to the new Navi Mumbai airport. This will be undertaken as part of the elevated rail corridor project between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Panvel. A separate rail line from Seawoods railway station will also be constructed to the Navi Mumbai airport.

Passenger associations said the plan for better connectivity of remote areas to Mumbai should be for the next 20 years. “The Railways are operating over their capacity. Both the state and central governments must look at increasing the capacity of the suburban railways and improving connectivity for the next 20 years,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad

Fadnavis said an integrated mobility plan for transportation in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) area would be crucial going ahead. “The development of a place is linked to the transportation available in the area. There is a need to create a Maha Mumbai, which enables seamless transportation,” said chief minister Devendra Fadnavis.