Mumbai suburban rail to get Rs 5k cr in 4 yrs for upgrades

Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), a joint venture formed in July 1999 between Indian Railways (51 per cent) and the Maharashtra government (49 per cent), was flattered in this rail budget, with minister Mamata Banerjee proposing a similar set-up for the congested suburban rail system in other states.

As a beginning, a Kolkata Rail Vikas Corporation (KRVC) would be formed on the lines of MRVC, to upgrade the suburban system there, with better, faster and more services, including 15-car trains. Both the Maharashtra government and MRVC have welcomed the announcement.

MRVC has so far spent Rs 5,000 crore, while another Rs 5,000 crore is being proposed for spending over the next three to four years. There are 193 rakes (train sets) of nine-car, 12-car and 15-car composition, utilised to run 2,600 train services. About 6.7 million passengers commute every day in the Mumbai suburban railway system.

MRVC managing director P C Sehgal told Business Standard: “So far, 115 new 12-car trains have been introduced, resulting in an additional 438 services in Mumbai. The decision to increase the number of cars to 12 from nine has led to 30 per cent additional carrying capacity.”

MRVC has so far procured a loan of Rs 1,600 crore for phase-I of its plans and Rs 1,900 crore for phase-II from the World Bank.

Sehgal said there’d been an energy saving of Rs 60 crore annually. During phase-II, MRVC has proposed a Diva-Vasai-Panvel rail line and a fast-track corridor on the harbour rail line.

The World Bank’s recent appriasal report said: "The increase in suburban rail capacity will bring important local benefits, reducing commuting times and increasing comfort for a large segment of Mumbai’s population, especially among its poor. The project will allow more frequent services, cutting waiting time, while higher maximum speeds will cut trip time. The low -fare policy of the Mumbai suburban rail system makes this mode of transport cheaper than the bus and particularly attractive to less affluent commuters."