Elevated corridor suggestion puts off Railways

The Western Railway is not keen to develop an elevated corridor between Mahalaxmi and Virar as suggested by the MMRDA in response to the Railways proposal to construct an underground line from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi and then taking it by an elevated route to Virar.

The Western Railway (WR) is not keen to develop an elevated corridor between Mahalaxmi and Virar as suggested by the MMRDA in response to the Railways proposal to construct an underground line from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi and then taking it by an elevated route to Virar. WR officials said an elevated corridor will only be useful if it is constructed between Virar and Oval Maidan.

Recently,a report submitted by MMRDA to state authorities recommended that the elevated corridor should be terminated at Mahalaxmi or Mumbai central station with inter-modal integration with the Metro corridor. This will not only obviate the difficulties of acquiring property south of Mahalaxmi,but will also complement the states mass transit initiative,it said.

But WR did not agree with the recommendation. If an elevated corridor is constructed,it will be between Virar- Churchgate-Oval Maidan or the Railways is not interested in constructing the corridor between Virar and Mahalaxmi, said a Railway Board official on condition of anonymity.

An elevated corridor between Virar and Mahalaxmi will not serve the purpose. In peak hours,around one-and-half lakh people reach Churchgate every hour. We are concerned about our commuters. Will people coming from Virar switch over from the elevated corridor at Mahalaxmi to conventional trains for reaching Churchgate? Doing so will not save them from overcrowded trains. Only around 20,000 people who travel by car will use the elevated corridor. What is the use of spending crores of rupees without benefiting our commuters? he added.

In June,WR made a presentation to the state on the feasibility of the elevated corridor. It was decided that the technical team of MMRDA should examine the proposal in details,particularly with regard to the impact of ridership on the elevated corridor on the proposed Metro corridor from Colaba to Bandra and vice-versa.

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Elevated corridor suggestion puts off Railways

The Western Railway is not keen to develop an elevated corridor between Mahalaxmi and Virar as suggested by the MMRDA in response to the Railways proposal to construct an underground line from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi and then taking it by an elevated route to Virar.

The Western Railway is not keen to develop an elevated corridor between Mahalaxmi and Virar as suggested by the MMRDA in response to the Railways proposal to construct an underground line from Oval Maidan to Mahalaxmi and then taking it by an elevated route to Virar.