Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said the new east-west rail corridor announced in the Union Budget is being planned to improve connectivity to several parts of Maharashtra that currently lack rail links, reported PTI. The corridor is also aimed at supporting industrial and rural development.
Speaking via video link from Delhi at an event to flag off the new CSMT-Sawantwadi Road Express, Vaishnaw said the proposed Surat-Dankuni east-west corridor would cater to both freight and passenger movement. The corridor is expected to connect parts of western Maharashtra, Nashik and other regions.
Surat-Dankuni corridor to improve Maharashtra connectivity
Vaishnaw said the proposal was developed after Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested during a recent event in Pune that the eastern and western freight corridors should be integrated and linked with new industrial development zones.
“The east-west corridor is being designed in such a way that it will be able to connect many such areas of Maharashtra which have never been connected before. Now, all those areas will have connectivity,” he said.
The minister said the completion of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors would also strengthen Maharashtra’s industrial network by enabling faster movement of goods from Jawaharlal Nehru Port to northern, eastern and central parts of the country.
He added that improved freight connectivity would support activity at Jawaharlal Nehru Port and contribute to industrial growth in Mumbai and neighbouring areas.
Mumbai local trains, bullet train projects get capacity push
On Mumbai’s suburban railway system, Vaishnaw said around 3,200 local train services are currently operated in the city. Increasing the number of services by around 10% could further improve passenger movement, he said.
The Railways is working on expanding network capacity, upgrading signalling systems and introducing new-generation suburban trains. The Integral Coach Factory in Chennai has been directed to manufacture 28 AC local trains, with production of the first train expected to begin in 2027.
“By 2030, we will have our own 238 local trains,” he said, adding that the new-generation trains would significantly change Mumbai’s suburban rail network.
Vaishnaw also highlighted progress on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, saying two tunnel boring machines are currently working simultaneously on the undersea tunnel section between Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex and Thane. The first section of the high-speed rail project is expected to become operational in 2027.
350 special trains planned for Ganesh festival
The minister said the Railways plans to operate 350 special trains during the upcoming Ganesh festival to handle the additional passenger demand towards the Konkan region.
“If required, we will run 375 special trains,” he said.
The announcements were made during the inauguration of the new CSMT-Sawantwadi Road daily Express, which is aimed at providing direct rail connectivity between Mumbai and the Konkan region.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, minister Nitesh Rane and Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde were also present at the event.