Mah cabinet approves Colaba-Mahim-Charcop metro rail project

Mumbai, Mar 2 (UNI) Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today said the Cabinet has approved the Rs 7,432 crore Colaba-Mahim-Charcop metro rail project and is expected to be completed by 2010-11.

After the weekly Cabinet meeting, Mr Deshmukh told mediapersons here that Mumbai Metropolitan Regional Development Authority in its report had recommended nine lines for Mumbai metro rail. The total length of these lines is 146.5 km, out of which 32.5 km are tunnel lines while the remaining are elevated.

The total expenditure of the nine lines is Rs 19,525 crore and these rail lines are divided in three phases. The entire project is expected to complete by 2021.

In the first phase, the construction of Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar, Colaba-Mahim-Charcop and Mahim Kurla-Mankhurd lines would be done.

He said the tenders have been received for Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar lines and the decision is expected soon.

The project cost of this line is Rs 1,500 crore and is expected to completed by 2009 while the other two lines are expected to completed by 2010-11. The total cost of Mahim-Kurla-Mankhurd line is Rs 1,655 crore.

He said the work on 38.24-km-long Colaba-Mahim-Charcop metro rail will start by May-June this year, which includes a 10.8 km tunnel lane from Colaba to Mahalaxmi.

There are 36 stations on this line, of which 11 are in tunnel while 25 are elevated.

The distance between two stations is 1.116 km. The rail lines will be at a height of 12 m from land, while in tunnel, the lines will be 15 to 20 meters below surface.

Mr Deshmukh said it was necessary to take a tunnel way from Colaba to Mahalaxmi, considering some historic places in this area, the network of western railway and the thickly populated buildings.

Metro rail will have four bogies in the initial stage with a freuency gap of three minutes between two trains. Later, the frequency could be increased along with the number of bogies.

He said a standard gauge was recommended for the metro rail which was used all over.

He said, if the Japanese bank which had helped the Delhi metro rail, also assists this project, then the state would take up the work on this project, otherwise it would be done on BOT basis.

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