CSMT-KARJAT TRAVEL TIME TO DROP BY 30 MIN

MUMBAI: Passengers travelling between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Karjat will be able to save 30 minutes of the commute time as an alternate route will be available to them due to better connectivity between Panvel and Karjat. At present, the rail commute between Karjat and CSMT takes 130 minutes, which will be reduced to about 100 minutes with the option of travelling on the Karjat-panvel-csmt route, said officials.

The doubling of the railway line between Panvel and Karjat is targeted to be completed by 2025 and the operation of trains will begin by March 2025. This will also link newly developing areas between Karjat and Panvel to the suburban train network.

Presently, commuters have to switch from the Central Railway’s main line to the Thane-vashi trans-harbour railway corridor to travel between Panvel and Karjat.

The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation Limited (MRVC) is undertaking the construction work of the project and will acquire 29 hectares of land. The 29.6 km of the railway line is being constructed between Panvel and Karjat railway stations at a cost of ₹2,783 crore.

“There will be a reduction of 25 to 30 minutes in journey time from CSMT to Karjat. Also, faster economic development of the area will be enabled by the project,” said Subhash Chand Gupta, chairman and managing director, MRVC. MRVC will construct two rail flyovers at Karjat and Panvel along with the construction of three tunnels 44 bridges, 15 Road Under Bridges and 7 Road Over Bridges.

The doubling of the suburban railway corridor is a part of the ₹10,947 crore Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3. Presently, there is a single railway line of 28.15 km between Panvel and Karjat stations that is mainly used for the movement of goods and a limited number of outstation trains halt between both the railway stations.