WR sets wheels in motion on link to south Seeks approval for 2km-long stretch giving Bandra-Dahisar passengers direct access to trains

WR sets wheels in motion on link to south

Seeks approval for 2km-long stretch giving Bandra-Dahisar passengers direct access to trains

The Western Railway (WR) has pushed the envelope on its plan to build a 2km-long ‘missing link’ that will give commuters from Bandra to Dahisar direct access to trains headed towards south Indian and the Konkan region. It has now submitted its proposal to the railway board for approval. The stretch is expected to come up between the WR’s mainline and the Vasai-Diva line. “A chord line between Naigaum and Juchandra stations will be built to offer connectivity. There are neither [obstructing] structures in place nor are there rehabilitation issues involved. The line will come as a huge relief for those Mumbaikars in the western suburbs who want to travel down south and to the Konkan region,” explains a senior WR official. The proposed stretch is also expected to ease traffic congestion on the roads. “Once the stretch is operational, there will be at least 50,000 fewer commuters on the city’s roads in a month. As of now, residents from Bandra to Dahisar have to take a train or the road and travel all the way to Mumbai CST or Dadar to catch a train to south India or to switch to the Konkan Railway. The 2km-long stretch will give [them] direct access to Konkan- and south-bound trains,” says another senior official. DNA was the first to report in this April about the WR’s plan to start this project. At present, there is no direct access from the WR line to the Konkan Railway, south India or the Pune line. Trains have to be taken to Vasai and turned around there to continue the journey. To date, only holiday specials and a limited number of trains are taken on this route. On the status of the project, a senior official says the WR has made detailed plans on the alignment of the route and has submitted them to the railway board. “Once the approval comes through, we will immediately get going. Building this stretch will not take too long,” he assures. Sources say chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is also keen on getting the project on track as soon as possible since it will help lakhs of Konkan Railway commuters get trains directly from the WR. Officials say the link will also offer a direct connectivity to Pune.