The Railway Board has given its final approval for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3A (MUTP 3A), which consists of infrastructure projects worth ₹33,690 crore. The projects include the construction of new railway lines, upgrading the existing infrastructure and procuring air conditioned (AC) electric multiple unit (EMU) rakes for the Mumbai suburban network.
The board also assigned the executing agencies for different projects within MUTP 3A. Central Railway will construct the fourth line between Kalyan and Asangaon worth ₹1,759.16 crore and will execute the ₹865.86-crore project to remodel the Kalyan yard to segregate long-distance and suburban trains. Western Railway has been given the responsibility to extend the Harbour line from Goregaon to Borivali, which is expected to cost ₹825.58 crore.
The rest of the works will be executed by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), which includes expansion of railway lines between Borivali-Virar and Kalyan-Badlapur, a new signalling and train control system, and upgrading the infrastructure at 19 stations.
In addition to MRVC, the board has also mentioned the Integral Coach Factory (ICF), Chennai and Modern Coach Factory, Rae Bareli as executing agencies to procure 191 AC EMU rakes. Sources said the modalities of the procurement are yet to be finalised and the board has kept its options open by naming all three agencies. In 2018, ICF was asked to procure 47 AC local trains under MUTP 3.
“The specifications of the AC EMU rakes are being finalised and should be ready in a month. The decision on how the EMUs will be procured will be taken only after that,” a senior railway official said.
MUTP 3A is being funded by the Ministry of Railways and the Government of Maharashtra on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis. It received the crucial approval by the Cabinet Committee for Economic Affairs on March 7, which was required for the Railway Board to disburse the ₹50 crore that was sanctioned in the interim budget earlier this year.
Senior officials said the preliminary works for all the projects are expected to commence in the coming months.
