The first suburban train from Uran in neighbouring Raigad district on the corridor inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi will run from Saturday, more than a quarter of a century after the project started. At a well attended function in Ulwe in Navi Mumbai on Friday, Modi inaugurated the 14.60 kilometre Kharkopar-Uran stretch of the 27 kilometre Belapur-Seawoods-Uran suburban corridor. It has been built at a cost of Rs 2973.35 crore, which was shared in the 67-33 ratio between the Maharashtra government’s planning authority CIDCO and the Railways, respectively.
The line has been in the works since the 1990s and faced numerous delays. The second phase inaugurated by PM Modi has five stations and several bridges. Presently 40 suburban services are operated on this route, and the extension till Uran will boost connectivity to the region, including its SEZ.
In a release issued late at night, Central Railway said 40 services that ran up to Kharkopar station from Belapur and Nerul on the route will now be extended to Uran from Saturday.
“The trains will halt at Shemtikhar, Nhava Sheva and Dronagiri stations. Frequency of services between Uran to Belapur/Nerul stations will be 30 minutes, Belapur to Uran and Nerul to Uran stations will be 60 minutes during peak hours, while 10 services will run during morning and evening peak hours on the extended route,” the CR release said.
“These extended services will help students, traders, daily commuters by providing affordable and eco-friendly mode of transportation, hence enhancing connectivity to SEZ area & Navi Mumbai,” the release highlighted.
The route inaugurated on Friday has one important bridge, two major bridges, 39 minor bridges, three road overbridges (ROBs), three road underbridges (RUBs). The cost incurred in the second phase is Rs 1,433 crore, it said.
The first phase of the corridor between Belapur-Seawood-Kharkopar was inaugurated in November 2018.
Rajendra B Aklekar, journalist and railway historian said the Belapur-Seawoods Uran suburban corridor has the distinction of being the most delayed railway project in Maharashtra.
“The date of approval of the project was March 1996 with an original deadline of March 2004. Land acquisition was one of the main reasons for delay,” Aklekar said.
The CR release issued in the evening also said suburban services plying on Thane-Vashi/ Panvel transharbour line will halt from Saturday at Digha Gaon, which too was inaugurated by the PM at a function held in Ulwe.
“Digha Gaon station is located about 3.2 km from Thane and 2.6 km from Airoli on the trans-harbour line. It was constructed as a part of Airoli- Kalwa elevated corridor under MUTP-II project with a project cost of Rs 90 crore,” it said.
The station, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and modern passenger amenities, will benefit thousands of people from the area who presently go either to Thane or Airoli to board local trains.
