MUMBAI, Sep 3: Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said the proposed new East-West rail corridor would significantly improve connectivity across Maharashtra while supporting industrial expansion and rural development in several previously unserved areas.
Addressing a function through a video link from Delhi to flag off the new CSMT-Sawantwadi Road Express, Vaishnaw said the corridor announced in the Union Budget is being planned to establish stronger rail links between different parts of the state.
The proposed corridor between Dankuni and Surat will include dedicated freight and passenger services, connecting areas in Western Maharashtra, Nashik and other regions, the minister said.
Vaishnaw said the proposal gained momentum following Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis’ suggestion that the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors should be linked with new industrial development zones.
” The east-west corridor is being designed in such a way that it will be able to connect many such areas of Maharashtra which have never been connected before. Now, all those areas will have connectivity,” he said.
According to the minister, the new rail network will extend connectivity to Vidarbha, Marathwada and Western Maharashtra while providing links towards Wardha and Nashik. The project is expected to create a stronger transportation network for industries as well as rural communities.
Vaishnaw also highlighted the completion of the Eastern and Western Dedicated Freight Corridors, saying both projects were now 100 per cent complete and would soon be dedicated to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He said the freight corridors would play an important role in Maharashtra’s industrial development by facilitating the movement of goods from Jawaharlal Nehru Port to northern, central and eastern parts of the country.
Improved freight connectivity is also expected to benefit Mumbai and its surrounding industrial areas by making the transportation of goods more efficient, he added.
Mumbai suburban rail network to get capacity boost
Vaishnaw said the Mumbai suburban railway system currently operates around 3,200 services and that a 10 per cent increase in services could substantially improve passenger movement.
The Railways is undertaking systematic measures to expand capacity, upgrade signalling systems and introduce new-generation suburban trains, he said.
The minister said the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai had been directed to manufacture 28 AC suburban trains, with production of the first train expected to begin in 2027.
“By 2030, we will have our own 238 local trains,” Vaishnaw said.
He added that increased rolling stock, enhanced infrastructure capacity and upgraded signalling would enable Mumbai to operate more suburban services and bring significant improvements to the city’s local train network by 2030.
Bullet train project makes progress
Vaishnaw also reviewed the progress of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train project, noting that two tunnel boring machines were simultaneously working on the undersea tunnel section linking Mumbai’s Bandra-Kurla Complex with Thane.
The first section of the high-speed rail project is expected to become operational in 2027, he said.
350 special trains planned for Ganesh festival
With demand for travel to the Konkan region expected to rise during the upcoming Ganesh festival, Vaishnaw said the Railways would operate 350 special trains.
“If required, we will run 375 special trains,” he said, underlining the Railways’ preparedness to accommodate the seasonal rush.
Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, Maharashtra Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde, Assembly Speaker Rahul Narwekar, minister Nitesh Rane and Mumbai Mayor Ritu Tawde attended the inauguration of the CSMT-Sawantwadi Road daily express.
Goyal said the new train would provide safe, fast and dependable connectivity between Mumbai and the Konkan region, benefiting lakhs of families.
He said better rail services would allow fishermen and other local producers to transport their goods to Mumbai more quickly, creating economic opportunities, supporting employment and reducing migration of young people in search of work.
Shinde described the service as a major benefit for Konkan residents, migrant workers and devotees travelling to their native places during Ganeshotsav.
He also urged the Railways and Maharashtra government to resolve the rehabilitation issue involving thousands of people living on railway land in Mumbai.
Shinde called for a solution that would provide housing to affected residents while ensuring that the Railways receives the land needed for infrastructure development.
Mumbai-Konkan daily express schedule
The Mumbai-Sawantwadi Road Express will depart from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus at 11.55 pm and arrive at Sawantwadi Road at 2.15 pm the following day.
On the return journey, the train will leave Sawantwadi Road at 5.20 pm and reach CSMT at 6.40 am the next morning, allowing passengers to make the journey between Mumbai and Konkan overnight.
The service will stop at several important stations, including Dadar, Thane, Panvel, Pen, Roha, Mangaon, Khed, Chiplun, Ratnagiri, Rajapur Road, Kankavli, Sindhudurg, Kudal and Sawantwadi Road, among others.
The new service is expected to strengthen links between Mumbai and towns across the Konkan belt while providing an additional travel option for residents, workers, businesses and visitors.