Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis announced on Thursday that Mumbai’s suburban railway network will receive its first batch of additional air-conditioned local train rakes by 2027. The move aims to expand the existing AC services and improve commuting conditions for passengers.
Speaking at the inauguration of several Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority projects, including the Chembur Metro Station under Phase 1A of Metro Line 2B, the Chief Minister said the Centre has decided to manufacture 238 new rakes at three coach factories that also produce Vande Bharat trains. These facilities are the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai, the Rail Coach Factory in Kapurthala, and the Modern Coach Factory in Raebareli. All the rakes are expected to be ready by 2029. The objective is to deliver smooth, metro-level services on the suburban network.
During the event, several infrastructure projects were inaugurated or launched. These included the elevated corridor from Bharat Nagar Road (University Campus) to Vakola Junction as part of the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road extension, the Chembur Metro Station, and the second tunnel boring machine (TBM-2) on the Thane side of the Thane–Borivali twin-tunnel project.
The flyover linking G Block of the Bandra-Kurla Complex with the Eastern Express Highway was named the “Senior Freedom Fighter and Former Chief Minister of Maharashtra Barrister Babasaheb Anantrao Bhosale Flyover.”
The Santacruz-Chembur Link Road is a 10.88 km east-west corridor connecting the Western Express Highway at Santacruz to the Eastern Express Highway. The final 1.2 km Vakola–BKC elevated section, costing around ₹645 crore, is designed to ease congestion at Vakola junction and improve connectivity between Bandra-Kurla Complex and the Western Express Highway.
Metro Line 2B, which will eventually run between Mandale and DN Nagar via BKC, now has the Chembur station as its sixth operational stop. The Chief Minister noted that 60-70 km of metro lines are expected to become operational this year. The project cost stands at ₹10,986 crore.
The Thane–Borivali twin-tube tunnel project involves an 11.85 km route under Sanjay Gandhi National Park, with 10.25 km of tunnel and a diameter of 13.3 metres. It is expected to reduce the distance between Borivali and Thane by 12 km and travel time by about an hour. The project has an approved cost of ₹16,600.40 crore. The second tunnel boring machine, named Arjuna, has been launched to accelerate work.
These initiatives form part of broader efforts to ease travel and reduce journey times for Mumbai residents.
