Mumbai: Budget funds for MUTP go up by Rs 100 crore

Mumbai suburban section, in particular, has been given enough funds. File pic

The Mumbai railway has, this year, got Rs 100 crore more than what it got last year in the budget allocation for the ongoing Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). This year's Union budget allocation has been Rs 650 crore as compared to last year's Rs 550 crore.

There is also an increased focus on upgrading the speed on the Mumbai-Delhi corridor to semi-high speed of 160 kmph and upgrading tracks accordingly at the cost of Rs 1,340 crore. For Mumbai suburban in particular, adequate money has also been allocated to footbridges, new road overbridges and other pending corridors, with more focus on new road bridges.

The MUTP includes new AC trains, new Panvel-Karjat line, Virar-Dahanu quadrupling and extension of the Harbour line to Borivli. The National High Speed Rail Corporation has been given an outlay of Rs 14,000 crore in addition to Rs 7,897 crore separately invested in the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project.

Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation has been continuously working on a wide range of projects for both CR and WR. "Ongoing works under MUTP are at different stages of implementation. We are happy that like the last few years, the fund allocation has been as desired and works will get a further boost," managing director of Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, RS Khurana said.

Break-up of the fund allocation
MUTP II: Rs 200 crore
5th, 6th line between CST-Kurla
Parel Teminus
Thane-Diva 5th, 6th line
Mumbai Central-Borivli 6th line
Goregaon Harbour line extension project

MUTP III: Rs 300 crore
Quadrupling of Virar-Dahanu corridor
New suburban corridor between Panvel-Karjat
Airoli-Kalwa link
Procurement of 47 AC 12-car rakes
Trespass control (mid-section)

MUTP III-A: Rs 150 crore
Extension of Harbour line up to Goregaon
5th, 6th lines between Borivli-Virar
4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon
3rd, 4th line between Kalyan-Badlapur
Kalyan yard segregation
Communications-based train control system on CR, WR
Station improvement
Procurement of 210 AC rakes