Planning begins for suburban railway corridors for ‘Third Mumbai’

The muchrequired planning for the Mumbai suburban railway has finally started with a focus on corridors for the lsquoThird Mumbairsquo through the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase MUTP4 complete segregation of the suburban network by taking up balance sections viz the PanvelVasai corridor the BadlapurKarjat and the AsangaonKasara through MUTP3BChairman and Managing Director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation MRVC Vilas Sopan Wadekar speaks to midday about the various planning strategies AC EMU and numerous projectsExcerpts from the interviewAre we lined up for new mega projects taking the MUTP aheadYes We have initiated the process to sanction MUTP3B the highlight of which is a new suburban corridor to connect the harbour line with WR and the segregation of mail express and local trains The MUTP3B project has a new local train corridor from Panvel to Vasai The alignment of this corridor will be along the existing PanvelVasai corridor with multiple rail flyovers to intersect the existing rail traffic including one at Kalamboli over the Dedicated Freight Corridor DFC alignment and crossing over the WR while landing at VasaiWhat else is included in the MUTP3BThe other key projects included in the MUTP3B are the AsangaonKasara and BadlapurKarjat lines Given the existing MUTP projects and their works these new projects will ensure the complete segregation of suburban from nonsuburban corridorsWhat about the future plansThe MUTP4 is at a conception stage We have initiated the process of taking up the Traffic Apprentice TA study This will look at identifying suburban railway corridors which is the need of the hour The lsquoThird Mumbairsquo areas of Navi Mumbai airport and the Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area NAINA are some of the unexplored areas where local trains can ply New corridors that can sync with the upcoming Metro network and all such areasBesides new corridors what else will MUTP4 look atWe are looking at including the upgraded stateoftheart version of cab signalling CommunicationBased Train Control CBTCmdashKavach 5mdashthat can be used for local trains It will positively bring down the headway of local trains and help to increase frequency By this time segregation of corridors too would be in place significantly Besides it would identify required work for lsquoMission Zero Deathsrsquo on track a comfortable travel experience for commuters by bringing crowding levels to 300 people per coach from 500 Flooding of Mumbai railway is an ageold problem and we intend to address it by studying the Japanese technology of underground holding ponds that can hold millions of megalitres of water during hightide conditions so that tracks do not remain floodedWill there be any boost to the existing projects underway under MUTPWe are looking at completing KarjatPanvel on a priority basis and also taking ahead the ongoing VirarDahanu quadrupling The work is on at a good pace without hindrance In the next three to four years all line projects under MUTP3 amp 3A will be completedWhat is the status of the AC local train projectThe Railway Ministry is positive about the project and soon work shall begin as we get approvals We are looking at a manufacturingcummaintenance model for these trains which shall fulfill the requirement of rakes for network expansion in progress under MUTP3 amp 3A and partially replace the older Siemensrsquo rakes to be phased out between 2032 and 2037 There will be a 4060 ratio of AC and nonAC rakes in the fleet as it is important to clear the misconception that the entire fleet will be AC