Ashwini Vaishnaw says Rs 15,940 crore allocated for Maharashtra projects, 250 new suburban services to be introduced in Railway Budget 2024

NEW DELHI : The Indian Railways is all set to introduce 250 new suburban services in Mumbai in the next five years, build new mega terminals, and redesign the rail network for seamless travel in India, Railways Minister Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw stated. The minister while addressing a press conference disclosed that they are planning to overhaul the rail network to keep a check on cross-movements of trains. The steps would be taken to improve transportation inside Mumbai and its nearby surrounding area. He mentioned that Rs 15,940 crore has been granted to railway projects in Maharashtra in the Union Budget 2024 by Finance Minister Smt Nirmala Sitharaman.

”Major focus is on separating suburban and long-distance train services,” the railway minister added. Indian Railways is also planning to launch new technologies for lessening the duration between two trains from 180 seconds to 150 seconds. Under the Amrit Bharat station scheme, Railways will be renovating 128 stations in Maharashtra.

New terminals to be constructed

To decrease the burden on Pune railway station, new terminals will be constructed at Uruli, Shivajinagar, Hadapsar, and Khadki. Projects worth Rs 81,000 crore are currently under process in the state and the railway network has been completely electrified in Maharashtra. A new coaching complex is currently being erected at the Panvel-Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai which will be utilized as a terminal for long-distance trains.

Mumbai’s coastal road and metro rail ongoing construction work is anticipated to further ease transportation issues in the financial capital. Meanwhile, Mumbai’s suburban system has a record of carrying more than 7.5 million commuters daily and manages 3,200 services.