The upcoming additions of rail corridors, as mentioned by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his speech during the inauguration of two additional railway lines connecting Thane and Diva on February 18, are likely to come up in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). While the earlier phases of Mumbai Urban Transport Projects (MUTP) have added around 200 km of rail lines to the suburban corridor, the new lines may link satellite townships around Mumbai.

As per a study by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the MMR contributes around 8 per cent of India’s GDP and is home to about 22 million citizens. It anticipates the population in the MMR to grow by around 42 per cent to 28.4 million in 2025 and by 54 per cent to 30.87 million in 2036.