Maharashtra Approves 65 Railway Infrastructure Projects to Enhance Urban Connectivity
Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis approved 65 railway infrastructure projects under the state Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation, MahaRail, at a review meeting chaired by him in Mumbai earlier this week. The projects are designed to make the state free of railway level crossings, enhancing safety and reducing traffic congestion. The approved projects cover the construction of railway overbridges, underpasses, and pedestrian bridges across rapidly urbanising areas of the state.
The 65 projects form the first phase of 131 proposed works to be undertaken by MahaRail on roads under the Public Works and Urban Development departments. Fadnavis directed officials to prioritize projects located on roads with Train Vehicle Units (TVUs) ranging between 25,000 and one lakh. TVU is a metric used by railways to measure traffic density at level crossing gates, calculated by multiplying the number of passing trains by the number of road vehicle units over a 24-hour period. Projects with minimal land acquisition requirements were also given priority.
According to an official release, a total of 80 railway infrastructure projects have been proposed in urban centres across Maharashtra. Of these, 17 are in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region, 15 in Pune, 13 in Nagpur, five each in Nashik and Amravati, with the remaining projects spread across several other cities in the state.
Fadnavis directed officials to plan infrastructure around railway corridors in metropolitan areas, taking into account increasing urbanisation and future transport needs. He also asked authorities to constitute committees comprising municipal commissioners and district collectors to verify the projects before they are taken up by MahaRail.
The Chief Minister flagged the possibility of traffic congestion at junctions on newly constructed flyovers in Nagpur and called for advance planning to address the issue. He further directed officials to construct a new railway overbridge on the Amravati-Badnera route in place of the existing old bridge. Funding for the projects is to be arranged through HUDCO, with officials asked to explore mechanisms to reduce borrowing costs.
These projects are expected to significantly improve the quality of life for residents in urban areas by reducing travel time and enhancing safety. The focus on minimal land acquisition and prioritizing high-traffic areas ensures that the projects will have a maximum impact with minimal disruption to local communities.
