Union Budget 2022: Mumbai local trains need revival, say experts

Work of 20 road overbridges, 78 road under-bridges have been completed and 20 foot overbridges have been commissioned in 2021 by Western Railway. File pic

While the general budget was presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman with an outlay of Rs 140,367.13 crore for the railways, the detailed allocations of pink book that give a project-wise break-up are still awaited.

In 2021, the Mumbai railway had got an allocation of Rs 650 crore. mid-day takes a look at which promised works have been completed so far and targeted to be completed by March 31, the current financial year.

MUTP projects underway

Last year, for Mumbai suburban in particular, adequate money had been allocated to foot overbridges, new road overbridges and other pending corridors, with more focus on new road bridges. The Mumbai Urban Transport Project-2 (MUTP-2) had been allocated a sum of R200 crore, which includes the new Thane-Diva lines. The MUTP-3 had been allocated around R300 crore and MUTP-3A around Rs 150 crore.

The Thane-Diva new lines under MUTP-2 is in full swing and is expected to be complete by February 2022, and work on Digha station on the Airoli Kalwa link under MUTP-3 is also currently on and expected to be completed by December 2022. The work on Kalyan remodelling under MUTP-3A will also speed off this year with a few tenders already allocated.

Passenger amenities

Among passenger amenities on Western Railway in 2021, work of 20 road overbridges, 78 road under-bridges have been completed and 20 foot overbridges have been commissioned in 2021. Similarly, 24 escalators and 17 lifts have also been commissioned on the Western Railway zone.

Over Western Railway's Mumbai suburban rail network, 14 new foot overbridges (FOBs) were commissioned until March 2021, while five more FOBs and a skywalk were commissioned until December 2021. Also, 14 new escalators were commissioned till March 2021, while six new escalators were commissioned till December 2021 and five new lifts were commissioned by March 2022.

In the year 2020-21, a total expenditure of Rs 77 crore was incurred on new works and maintenance of FOBs, while in the year 2021-22, a total expenditure of R35 crore was incurred on new works and maintenance of FOBs, up to November 2021, by Western Railway. On CR, 13 FOBs were provided during the year 2021 and five twin escalators in the Mumbai division. In addition to this, CCTV cameras were installed in 200 ladies' coaches of 37 local rakes. In 2021, new home platforms were also provided at Kopar and Ambernath stations.

'No mention about Maharashtra rail projects'

"This time the railways was mentioned in just one line, which we, railway passenger members, didn't like. We will examine the detailed allocations on what has been given to Mumbai, but overall we are disappointed," said Nandkumar Deshmukh, president of Federation of Suburban Passengers Association. "There was no mention of Maharashtra rail projects or passenger safety in the Budget. The lifeline of the city needs revival and hope there is money allocated for its improvement," Subhash Gupta, president. Rail Yatri Parishad.

Road transport sector disappointed

"The road transport sector of India is feeling left out and disappointed with today's budget. This sector has been suffering for the past many years and the worst in the past two years due to the COVID-19 outbreak. The road transport sector has been up and alive to maintain the continuity of the supply chain of essential commodities, medicines and oxygen supply," said Bal Malkit Singh, chairman, core committee and former president, All-India Motor Transport Congress (AIMTC).

"The budget is focussed on futuristic infrastructure development rather than on present adversities faced by the common man and the transport sector. The rising inflation and reducing disposal income raised hopes of relief for the middle-class but that too dashed to the ground. Perhaps the government is blinded to the plight of the common man and is only concerned with the corporatization and macro-economic metrics," Singh said.

He further added, "The road transport sector of India which is supposedly the backbone of the country and provides sustenance to about 20 crore citizens associated with the transport trade, deplore the continued apathy of the government to this sector," he said.

Rs 650cr
The amount allotted to Mumbai railways in the 2021 budget