28 August,2024 06:50 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Foot overbridge at Wadala station which was constructed in 216 days
The much-awaited Kalyan-Badlapur section, which is getting two new lines to segregate suburban and outstation trains, has achieved a major milestone. On August 22, commuters held a protest, demanding that more train services be operated beyond Kalyan.
A new road overbridge, under which the two lines will run, was completed this week. The structure, completed ten days ahead of the deadline, was built at a cost of Rs 30 crore. The entire corridor is expected to be ready by December 2026.
The new bridge caters to the Ambernath-Badlapur MIDC area and connects Forest Naka in the west to Katai-Badlapur Road in the east. The existing bridge spanning two existing tracks will now be demolished. The project is a part of the 3rd and 4th line between Kalyan and Badlapur stations.
An official said, "The 3rd and 4th lines are a 14-km-long suburban railway project that will separate long-distance and suburban trains. The project is being undertaken by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) at a cost of Rs 1,510 crore, as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3A. The project also includes the construction of a new station in Chikhloli, which will be located 4.34 km from Ambernath and 3.1 km from Badlapur."
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"The corridor will immensely help the new townships of Badlapur, Ambernath and Ulhasnagar which have become extremely crowded. At present, operation of suburban trains is limited due to the presence of two tracks, which are used by freight, express and local trains," he added.
All of the 9.77 hectares of private land required for the project have been acquired. The required 2.59 hectares of government land has also been acquired. Stage I clearance was received for 0.25 hectares of forest land on May 8, 2023, with working permissions in place by September 29, 2023. The application for Stage II clearance (formal approval) has been submitted.
Work on two of the four road overbridges has now been completed while that of the road overbridge at level crossing gate 1A and at MIDC has been completed. Work is ongoing at level crossing gate 4/C, where the diversion of the road in the west is complete. Work on level crossing 7 has also been started.
Other works, including the construction of the new Chikhloli station, will gather pace after the monsoon.
"We are committed to the timely and efficient execution of the 3rd and 4th lines between Kalyan and Badlapur. The significant progress made, including the completion of major ROBs, acquisition of land and approval of critical designs and structures, highlights our dedication to enhancing suburban rail infrastructure.
With all stakeholders aligned and clearances in place, we are confident of meeting our target completion date of December 2026, which will greatly benefit daily commuters by easing congestion and improving travel reliability," asserted Subhash Chand Gupta, chairman and managing director, MRVC.
Rs 30crore
Cost of road overbridge
Redesigning five stations (Vithalwadi, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Chikhloli and Badlapur)
Four new road overbridges
53 smaller bridges along the tracks
One new station
Two new FOBs
Two new foot overbridges (FOBs) were also opened to the public last week in Wadala and Govandi, which see a high number of trespassing cases. While the newly completed 77.59-metre-long and four-metre-wide FOB at Wadala was completed in just 216 days at a cost of R3.1 crore, the one at Govandi, spanning 23.60 metres in length and four metres in width was completed in a record 133 days at a cost of Rs 1.2 crore.
