Rail budget has significant provisions for Maharashtra: CR

Maharashtra, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu's home state, has found a significant mention in the railway budget with a slew of announcements, including a new line connecting coastal Konkan with rest of the state and a nod for MUTP III project in Mumbai, an official said today.
Prabhu presented his maiden railway budget yesterday.
"The proposed Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) phase III has received a nod while Rs 1,200 crore were granted for 112 km line between Karad and Chiplun in Konkan, the work on which is expected to start soon," said Narendra Patil, chief public relations officer of the Central Railway (CR), here.

Projects worth Rs 20,000 crore for development of Central Railway network in Maharashtra were sanctioned, Patil said.
The CR covers a large part of the state.
"While Rs 800 crore have been earmarked for a third railway line between Pune and Lonavala, Rs 2,020 crore were announced for the remaining work of the third line between Kazipet-Ballarshah section.

"Pune-Miraj-Londa doubling project, Wardha-Ballarshah third line (doubling) and Nagpur-Rajnandgaon third line (doubling) will also be undertaken," he added.
"Feasibility studies will be conducted for new railway lines between Pune-Nashik, Manmad-Indore via Malegaon, Rotegaon-Puntamba, Ramtek-Tumsar and Umarpara-Nandurbar and Igatpuri-Bhusaval third line," he added.

Four platforms at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus here will be extended at the cost of Rs 50 crore, so as to accommodate the 24-coach long distance trains.
Major works will be carried at JNPT yard, second track will be laid between Wardha and Chitoda, and Gaigon yard remodelling will be undertaken so that traffic congestion can be eased, he said.
For passenger safety, new road over-bridges, road under-bridges and level-crossing gates will be constructed in the state at the cost of Rs 2,993.58 crore.
Money was also sanctioned for 29 surveys for various projects which are already underway, Patil added.