Panvel–Karjat suburban corridor nears completion as MRVC advances Mumbai rail upgrades

Mumbai: The Panvel-Karjat New Suburban Corridor is expected to be ready for safety inspection by the Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) by the end of this year, with the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) completing several civil, cabling and electrification works in July. The progress comes as MRVC simultaneously pushes ahead with the Virar-Dahanu quadrupling, Borivali-Virar 5th and 6th lines and station improvement projects across the Mumbai suburban network.On the Panvel-Karjat corridor, subways at Chikhale and Mohape were completed and Road Over Bridges 89/1 and 90/2 were opened for use by local residents. Cabling work in Tunnel-1 and Tunnel-3 was also completed. During July, around 4 km of OHE catenary wire, 4 km of contact wire and 32 km of dropping wire were installed.The corridor is being developed as a new suburban link between Panvel and Karjat and is expected to add capacity to the suburban network. Once the remaining works are completed, the project will be taken up for CRS inspection before passenger operations can be considered.Signalling upgrades on Virar-Dahanu routeOn the Virar-Dahanu Road quadrupling project, MRVC completed ROB LC-55A in the Vangaon-Dahanu section and Minor Bridge No. 133 during July. At Kelve Road station, Phase-I signalling and telecommunications works were commissioned on July 15. Automatic signalling on both Up and Down Main Lines between Saphale and Kelve Road was also commissioned.Electronic interlocking systems at Relay Huts 3 and 4 were commissioned as part of the signalling works. The upgrades are expected to improve operational reliability and support the additional capacity being created through quadrupling.For the Borivali-Virar 5th and 6th lines, MRVC obtained physical possession of about 1.81 hectares of land at Bhayandar on July 21. Staff quarters at Vasai Road and Bhayandar were also completed.Station works focus on passenger movementMRVC also completed several passenger-related works. Elevated decks at Kandivali and Mira Road were handed over to Western Railway, while an east-side booking office at Mankhurd was opened for passengers.At Ghatkopar, a 55-metre elevated deck linking the South-end FOB with the existing Metro FOB was commissioned. The works also included a staircase to Platform 1, double-discharge landings for Platforms 2/3 and 4, and connectivity with the eastern skywalk. The facilities are aimed at improving passenger movement and interchange between suburban rail and Metro services.Two 17-Year-Old Trekkers Rescued After Losing Way Near Machi Prabalgad In PanvelGirder launching was another major component of July's work. Five girders were launched at Dombivli for a proposed 54-metre-long skywalk and four at Dahisar for a 64-metre-long FOB. At Virar, 16 girders were launched for an elevated deck over the station area. Ten girders were launched at Bhayandar and seven at Nallasopara for ongoing elevated deck works.Separately, the Maharashtra Cabinet on July 28 approved an increase in MRVC's authorised share capital from Rs 25 crore to Rs 500 crore, while its paid-up capital will rise from Rs 25 crore to Rs 225 crore. The move is expected to strengthen MRVC's financial capacity to take up major suburban railway infrastructure projects.The July progress comes as MRVC seeks to move several long-pending Mumbai suburban capacity-enhancement projects towards completion, with the Panvel-Karjat corridor emerging as one of the key projects expected to reach the safety-inspection stage this year.To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in