Mumbai elevated rail corridor projects still on hold

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Plans for a number of ambitious elevated rail corridor projects in Mumbai remain up in the air, according to Indian Railway board chairman Vinay Mittal.

Projects include the Churchgate-Virar link on the western suburban rail network, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST – formerly Victoria Terminus) – Panvel line and CST-Kalyan line.

Speaking during a press conference at the Western Railway (WR) headquarters in Mumbai on January 5, Vinay Mittal said: “GMR Infra, L&T and IL&FS companies have shown interest for developing the Churchgate-Virar project.

“However, we are still looking for state support agreement, which is under discussion, which will set out the responsibilities and liabilities of Railways and the state government vis-a-vis the project.”

The 62 km Churchgate-Virar corridor will have 26 stations, of which 43 km will be elevated, 8 km will be underground and the remaining 12.52 will be at ground level.

The line will be built at the cost of more than $4 billion on a public private partnership (PPP).

On the CST-Panvel, Kalyan rail corridor projects, Mittal said: “Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation has already prepared a project report and submitted to the state government.”

A Central Railway (CR) official, who did not wish to be named, said: “The projects cannot go forward as CST and the adjoining area, which is under Railways control, has been declared as a world heritage structure.

“CR have written to UNESCO for lifting the heritage status on the balance area, and [to] keep the heritage status on the CST headquarters building.”

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