Indian Railways Announce Ambitious 5-Year Plan for Mumbai’s Rail Infrastructure

GG News Bureau
Mumbai, 25th July. Indian Railways has announced a transformative five-year plan for Mumbai, focusing on enhancing suburban services, modernizing the rail network, and establishing new mega terminals. The ambitious initiative aims to significantly improve rail travel in Mumbai, the country’s financial hub.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnav revealed that the plan includes the introduction of 250 new suburban services, a redesign of the current network to minimize ‘cross movement’ of trains, and the construction of new terminals. The objective is to streamline operations and enhance efficiency.

As part of the upgrade, Indian Railways will implement advanced technology to decrease the distance between trains from 180 seconds to 150 seconds. A key aspect of the plan is to distinguish suburban services from long-distance trains to improve overall efficiency.

Mumbai’s suburban rail system, which operates 3,200 services daily and serves over 75 lakh passengers, is expected to benefit greatly from these changes. The development of Mumbai’s coastal road and the phased rollout of metro rail services are also anticipated to alleviate transportation challenges in the city.

New facilities include a coaching complex at Panvel-Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, set to serve as a major terminal for long-distance trains. Additionally, new terminals will be constructed at Hadapsar, Uruli, Khadki, and Shivajinagar to reduce congestion at Pune railway station.

In the Union Budget 2024, Railway Minister Vaishnav announced a historic allocation of Rs 2,62,200 crore for Indian Railways. Of this, Rs 1,08,000 crore is earmarked for security-related measures. For Maharashtra alone, Rs 15,940 crore has been allocated, with ongoing projects worth Rs 81,000 crore and the complete electrification of the state’s rail network. The Amrit Bharat station initiative is redeveloping 128 stations across Maharashtra.

Other states also received substantial allocations:

• Uttar Pradesh: Rs 19,848 crore
• Madhya Pradesh: Rs 14,738 crore
• West Bengal: Rs 13,941 crore
• Bihar: Rs 10,033 crore
• Jharkhand: Rs 7,302 crore