In a statement issued on Saturday, the MRVC said that this amount marks a 125 per cent surge from the Rs 789 crore allocated in the previous financial year. MUTP is a major initiative aimed at the expansion and capacity enhancement of Mumbai’s suburban rail network
Currently, three projects the initiative are at various stages of implementation, even as the World Bank-funded MUTP-I project has already been completed. Representational pic
Budget grants worth Rs 1,777 crore have been earmarked in the Union Budget for 2025-26 for the ambitious Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP), the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) announced on Saturday, according to PTI.
In a statement, the MRVC said that this amount marks a 125 per cent surge from the Rs 789 crore allocated in the previous financial year.
MUTP is a major initiative aimed at the expansion and capacity enhancement of Mumbai’s suburban rail network. Currently, three projects the initiative are at various stages of implementation, even as the World Bank-funded MUTP-I project has already been completed.
“The Rs 1,777 crore allocation by the Railway Ministry includes Rs 100 crore for MUTP-II, Rs 800 crore for MUTP-III, and Rs 877 crore for MUTP-IIIA. The Government of Maharashtra will match this contribution, resulting in a total capital infusion that will help accelerate the progress of key MUTP projects designed to ease congestion, improve connectivity, and enhance passenger convenience,” the MRVC statement read.
The release further noted that there had been no funding constraints in the 2024-25 financial year, ensuring uninterrupted progress on MUTP works.
“Moreover, as work advances, additional funds are made available through revised grants in the last quarter of the financial year, if necessary, to ensure seamless execution,” it added.
“With this strong financial support, major MUTP undertakings – including new rail corridors, station upgrades, and improved rail infrastructure – are making significant headway, moving Mumbai’s commuters closer to a faster, safer, and more efficient suburban railway network,” the statement concluded.
Mumbai: Masjid Bunder station set to rise above the crowd
High-footfall Masjid Bunder station on Central Railway’s Mumbai network is finally set to go one floor up. The Railways have drawn up a plan to build an elevated deck covering all platforms at the station, which sees massive crowds during workdays due to its proximity to a major business district.
As per the latest budget document released this week, Rs 9.14 crore has been sanctioned for constructing the deck, complete with escalators and lifts. Located in the heart of a busy commercial area, Masjid Bunder station has long struggled with narrow platforms that get severely crowded during morning and evening rush hours. While multiple bridges have been added over the years, the main concern, the tapering, roofless north-end platforms, has remained unresolved.
Masjid Bunder is one of the oldest stations on the Great Indian Peninsula Railway, having opened on September 20, 1875.
According to railway officials, adding a roof at the north end is nearly impossible due to platform constraints and safety standards defined under the Schedule of Dimensions (SOD), regulations that govern minimum safety clearances for railway operations. Installing a roof there would encroach on the space required for running trains, creating serious safety risks.
The proposed elevated deck will span across all platforms, not only solving the roof issue but also creating an additional floor to ease passenger movement and
reduce crowding.
“The problem at Masjid Bunder has existed for years, and we welcome the move to build a deck. It will solve the roof issue and provide more circulating space for passengers,” said Subhash Gupta of Yatri Sangh Mumbai.
(With PTI inputs)
Subscribe today by clicking the link and stay updated with the latest news!" Click here!
