Mumbai gets 12 per cent less funding for key rail infra

Commuters at Dadar on Jan 16. New lines once completed will add more services for users. Pic/Ashish Raje

Mumbai has been allocated nearly 12 per cent less funding for key rail infrastructure compared to last year, showed this year's Rail Budget. As per allocation figures, shared on Wednesday evening, the three Mumbai Urban Transport Projects will get Rs 575 crore as against Rs 650 crore a year ago. An equal amount will be shelled out by the state for the projects.

This is the first budget under a non-Mumbai railway minister, Ashwini Vaishnaw, since the BJP government took over in 2014. Barring D V Sadanand Gowda, who held the railway portfolio for 167 days, Suresh Prabhu and Piyush Goyal who were railway ministers have a Mumbai base. Apart from the MUTP allocation, an additional Rs 2.5 crore has been given separately for the upgrade of Harbour line trains from 9 cars to 12 cars.

The MUTP-2 has received Rs 185 crore compared to Rs 200 crore last year, while Rs 190 crore has been earmarked for MUTP3, down from Rs 300 crore in the last budget. The MUTP 3A has received Rs 200, up from Rs 150 crore last year.

While the MUTP II includes ongoing projects like the 5th and 6th lines between CSMT-Kurla, Parel Teminus, Thane-Diva 5th-6th line, Mumbai Central-Borivli 6th line and Goregaon Harbour line extension project, the MUTP3 includes the Airoli-Kalwa link which is stuck over rehabilitation of affected people, the ongoing quadrupling of Virar-Dahanu corridor, procurement of more AC local trains, 12-car rakes and trespass control (mid-section) projects, including foot overbridges.

The MUTP3-A includes projects under planning with little development like the extension of Harbour line up to Goregaon, 5th-6th lines between Borivli-Virar, 4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon, 3rd-4th line between Kalyan-Badlapur, Kalyan yard segregation, communications-based control system on Central Railway and Western Railway, station improvement and 210 more AC local trains.

Railway officials said that work on MUTP projects 2 and 3 from last year's funding is already underway, but the projects under MUTP 3A are to be started with greater vigour and hence more funding. "A set of revised estimates come at a later stage. Also due to the pandemic and related losses, a number of expenses over all the projects have been reduced and this is not just about Mumbai or any specific city," said an official said.

"It's a progressive budget for railways and specially for Mumbaikars. Rs 577.5 crore [Central government's 50 per cent share of 1,155 crores] have been allocated to MRVC [Mumbai Rail Vikas Commission] for various MUTP works. This will further give impetus to the ongoing works and new works planned during the year by MRVC for Central & Western Railway. Suburban travellers can expect a lot of developmental work in days to come," said MRVC Chairman and Managing Director Ravi Agarwal.

Break-up of fund allocation

MUTP II - Rs 185 crore
>> 5th, 6th line between CST-Kurla
>> Parel Teminus
>> Thane-Diva 5th, 6th line
>> Mumbai Central-Borivli 6th line
>> Goregaon Harbour line extension project

MUTP III - Rs 190 crore
>> Quadrupling of Virar-Dahanu corridor
>> New suburban corridor between Panvel-Karjat
>> Airoli-Kalwa link
>> Procurement of 47 AC 12-car rakes
>> Trespass control (mid-section)

MUTP III-A - Rs 200 crore
>> Extension of Harbour line up to Goregaon
>> 5th, 6th lines between Borivli-Virar
>> 4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon
>> 3rd, 4th line between Kalyan-Badlapur
>> Kalyan yard segregation
>> Communications-based train control system on CR, WR
>> Station improvement
>> Procurement of 210 AC rakes