State govt wants to prioritise Metro Line 3 over Elevated Corridor

The Rs 25,000-crore Western Railway Elevated Corridor has been in cold storage for the last few months, after the disagreement between the Indian Railways and the state government. However, the recent change at the Centre and the new Minister of Railways have given the project a shot in the arm. A meeting between the Chairman of Railway Board, Arunendra Kumar and the Chief Secretary of the state J Saharia is expected to take place today.

Sources told mid-day that the main topic on the agenda will be the future of Oval Maidan-Virar Elevated Rail Corridor. While the Indian Railways has been backing the need for the alternate air-conditioned rail corridor, the state has been pushing for Line 3 of the Mumbai Metro, Colaba-Bandra-Seepz, claiming that the proposed elevated rail and metro will run parallel after covering a certain route, reducing the need for that stretch of the rail corridor.

A senior railway official, on the condition of anonymity said, "The state wants us to consider the route between Virar and Bandra." In order to check the feasibility of the proposal, a study comparing the two lines was commissioned. The report has been submitted to the state government and the Planning Commission.