M'shtra awaits ministry nod for MUTP-II phase

The Maharashtra government is expecting the approval of the railway ministry for the Rs 3,700-crore rail component of the second phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) in the next budget. The project plans were sent to the ministry for approval over a year ago.

The total cost of the rail component is being shared equally by the state and the railway ministry, with one half being a loan from the World Bank. The loan has a 13-year repayment window.

The second phase proposals include laying of additional lines between Thane and Diva, Borivali and Mumbai Central and CSTM and Kurla at a total cost of Rs 935 crore, aim to bring down the number of passengers per 9 coach train to 3,000 from the current 5,000. After the first phase, it is expected to come down to 3,600.

Meanwhile, the government has already started working on the third phase of MUTP's rail component, at a projected cost of Rs 2,550 crore.

So far, it has drawn up plans for an East-West link between Bandra and Kurla (Rs 360 crore), upgrade signalling equipment to reduce headway between two trains to 2.5 minutes from the current 3 minutes (Rs 1,200 crore) and procurement of additional rolling stock (Rs 846 crore).

By the end of the second phase, around 700 new trains will also be added enabling the railways to bring down the number of people per car to 3,000 during peak hours. All the trains except on Harbour Line will be 12-coach rakes. Harbour Line will continue to run 9-caoch rakes. The proposal sent to the railway ministry has allocated Rs 2,009 crore for the procurement of additional rakes.

The second phase will also witness the segregation of suburban train operations from long distance and freight services on the Central and Western railways.

After the completion of the second phase, both these sections will be completely segregated from the mail/ passenger/ express / freight traffic enabling suburban trains to run uninterrupted.

Under phase one of MUTP, the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has commissioned a study to change the design of stations especially at Bandra, Andheri, Mankhurd and Vadala.

Studies are currently on at Churchgate, Mumbai Central, Bandra, Goregaon, Byculla, Kurla and Dadar. The stations will be redesigned in the second phase to reduce tresspass and optimal utilisation of suburban infrastructure.