Feasibility report gives green signal to AC suburban trains

“The report is positive about the possibility of running such AC suburban trains in Mumbai. We are examining the report for further action,” a senior Railway Ministry official said.

Railways had awarded the contract in November last year to Systra and RITES to undertake the feasibility study route for running elevated AC suburban rail services in Mumbai.

Estimated to cost about Rs 10,000 crores,the AC suburban train project will be a premier service in the country.

However,the entire route will not be elevated as the report suggested. “While in some section the route will cross over the flyovers,in certain areas it has been proposed to go underground,” said the official.

The consortium,which is charging the Railway about Rs 8 crores for the feasibility study,will now work out the design,cost and fare structure.

The multi-crore project will be the first fully air-conditioned suburban rail service in the country.

The report is being examined to concretise the project,the official said.

Besides the Virar-Churchgate route,Maharashtra government is keen to extend the elevated corridor further from Mantralaya and Nariman Point to CST in the financial capital.

“Initially,the proposal was for the 60-km long Virar-Churchgate only. But the Maharashtra government suggested that it be extended further. So the feasibility study has also taken the extended route into account,” said the official.