Mumbai local network set for big expansion! Indian Railways gets Modi Cabinet nod for new lines, better trains

Mumbai local transport set to improve and expand like never before! Big news for Mumbaikars! Travelling across the city of Mumbai will get more comfortable and easy with Indian Railways all set to expand the suburban network. Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has recently approved the phase III-A of the Mumbai Urban Transport project. According to a press release issued by the Cabinet, the total cost of the Mumbai Urban Transport project will be around Rs 30,849 crore, with total completion cost of Rs 33,690 crore. The work on phase III-A of the Mumbai Urban Transport project is likely to be completed over the next five years. Here are 10 things to know about the upcoming phase III-A of the Mumbai Urban Transport project:

1) In order to improve comfort level and safety of commuters, air-conditioned coaches will be introduced along with automatic door operation.

2) Seamless travel for long distance suburban passengers will be provided by extending and creating corridors along with decongestion of entry and exit at the stations.

3) With the introduction of Communication Based Train Control (CBTC) system, safety, capacity as well as efficiency of the suburban network will be increased.

4) The CBTC will be introduced on all suburban sections of Mumbai viz. CSMT-Panvel on Harbour and Trans Harbour line, CSMT-Kalyan (on both slow and fast lines) and Churchgate-Virar (on both slow and fast lines).

5) Currently, the Harbour Line links CSMT to Goregaon. Under phase III-A, the line will be extended to Borivali, providing direct connectivity to CSMT for people travelling from Borivali.

6) The suburban and non-suburban services on the Western Line will be segregated and will provide a slow and fast suburban corridor between Borivali and Virar, improving its connectivity along with increased frequency of services.

7) Construction of the fourth line up to Asangaon will provide proper suburban connectivity to Kalyan-Kasara section, which is home to millions of Mumbaikars.

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8) The satellite towns and cities of Ambarnath, Badlapur, Ulhasnagar need proper suburban connection to travel between Kalyan and Mumbai. The new corridor from Kalyan to Badlapur will provide much-needed suburban rail connectivity.

9) After the modification of Kalyan Yard, there will be complete segregation of suburban and long-distance traffic, decongesting the platform crowd and facilitating smooth movements.

10) Additionally, separate and independent platforms will be provided to rail passengers for dealing with long-distance trains, avoiding their clashing with suburban commuters.