Mumbai to get 238 new AC local train rakes by 2029, first batch by 2027: CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Thursday announced that Mumbai’s suburban railway network will receive a fresh batch of air-conditioned local train rakes, with the first set expected by 2027. Speaking at the inauguration of several Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) projects, he said the Centre has decided to manufacture 238 new rakes at three coach factories, all of which will be ready by 2029.

These factories include the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, and the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli. “The aim is to provide metro train-level smooth services on the suburban railway network,” Mr. Fadnavis said.

At the event, the Chief Minister inaugurated the elevated corridor from Bharat Nagar Road (University Campus) to Vakola Junction under the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) extension, the Chembur Metro Station under Phase 1A of Metro Line 2B, and the second tunnel boring machine (TBM-2) for the Thane–Borivali twin-tunnel project. He also dedicated the flyover connecting G Block of the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) with the Eastern Express Highway, naming it after former Maharashtra Chief Minister and freedom fighter Barrister Babasaheb Anantrao Bhosale.

The SCLR is a 10.88 km east-west corridor linking the Western Express Highway at Santacruz to the Eastern Express Highway, aimed at easing congestion at Sion and Kalanagar junctions. The opening of the final leg — the Bharat Nagar–Vakola link — is expected to decongest traffic at Vakola junction and plug the gap between BKC and the Western Express Highway. The 1.2 km Vakola–BKC elevated road, built at a cost of around ₹645 crore, connects major intersections including Vakola Junction, Ambedkar Chowk, and University Junction.

“In 2018, it was decided that six links were needed to decongest BKC. This is the last link, and now traffic will slowly get decongested and regulated. We also need to improve several bottlenecks on the Western Highway landing, perhaps requiring an underpass,” Mr. Fadnavis said.

The Chembur station is the sixth station on the operational Metro Line 2B, offering interchange with suburban rail and monorail within walking distance. The full 2B line will run between Mandale and DN Nagar, passing through BKC. Mr. Fadnavis noted that 60-70 km of metro lines will be made operational this year. The project cost is ₹10,986 crore, including state taxes, escalation, and interest during construction.

The Thane–Borivali twin-tube tunnel, spanning 11.85 km under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park, will connect the Western Express Highway at Borivali with Thane Ghodbandar Road. Of this, 10.25 km will be tunnel and 1.60 km approach road, with a diameter of 13.3 metres. The MMRDA expects the tunnel to reduce travel distance by 12 km and save about an hour between Borivali and Thane. The project cost has been administratively approved at ₹16,600.40 crore, with Megha Engineering Infrastructures Ltd awarded the contract.

“This will set a record for the largest tunnel in the country. TBM Naik was launched two years ago; the second one, Arjuna, has now been launched, which will speed up the work,” Mr. Fadnavis said.