Harbour put on the fast track

MUMBAI: Mamata Banerjee's budget catered mostly to Kolkata but also managed to spare a thought for Mumbai. But a thought was just about all the city she praised as the "industrial capital" had to be content with. Banerjee's budget gave 47 new local services, 9 new long-distance trains, more funds for the Mumbai Urban Transport Project and more 12-car rakes, not radical enough for a lifeline bursting at the seams.Hope however came in the form of a feasibility study for a fast-track corridor on the Harbour line that the railway minister announced , a move which indicated that the project to reduce travel time between Panvel and CST could be implemented earlier than expected.
This is not only good news to the more than 30% of Central Railways' (CR) 36 lakh commuters travelling on the Harbour line but is also significant in view of the new airport coming up at Panvel. The survey was initially to have been conducted under the third phase of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP-III), around 2015."We didn't anticipate the survey for a fast track on the Harbour line to be announced so soon since it is proposed under MUTP-III, which is still in planning stages," managing director P C Sehgal, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) said. The survey will cost around Rs 5-10 crore.
MRVC however has already conducted a preliminary feasibility study for the corridor that indicates the project can go "under the water, on, above or below the earth's surface," depending on how much funds are pumped in. Sehgal told TOI the study considered seven options for a CST-Panvel fast corridor. The most preferred one comprised stops at all stations till Cotton Green and then at a few select ones, much like the WR fast corridor which has halts at all stations between Churchgate and Mumbai Central. A second proposal was an elevated or an underground route from CST to Cotton Green station as the area leaves little choice due to lack of space. The route beyond this could be tackled by building a pair of conventional tracks. But this option would involve land acquisition and consequently rehabilitation of people. A third route considered was an elevated or underground track from CST through P D'Mello to BPT yard. Sehgal said the existing lines from BPT could be used till Wadala Road and then conventional ground-level lines built to Panvel. However, this relies heavily on permissions from BPT. Another option was to have an elevated path till Kurla.
A CR official said it will be difficult to add new lines between CST and Cotton Green due to space constraints and sharp gradients. "I don't see how two more platforms will come up at CST. The yard will need to be completely changed. A quick fix would be to have the fast corridor after Wadala, where the real demand is."
Sehgal said the project would cost around Rs 3,000 crore and take 10 years to complete. "This project becomes more important due to the new airport. Commuters have a right to a faster commute in a city where time is money," he said. Banerjee also said that all suburban services in Mumbai will be ultimately upgraded to 12-car ones, of which 107 will be done this year across WR and CR.
CR officials say one of their main demands - running 12-car trains on the Harbour line-has not got a mention in the railway budget. TOI had first reported on February 25 that upgrading Harbour rakes to 12-car topped the CR wishlist. However, TOI has seen documents stating that the Planning Commission has 'in principle' approved the project. The Rs 700-crore project will need five years for completion.