Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd. (MRVC), the driving force behind the prestigious Panvel-Karjat railway project, has reached a significant milestone with the breakthrough of Tunnel-3.
Image Credit (representational): MRVC
More Details:
The Panvel-Karjat railway project is taking shape under MRVC’s Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3 (MUTP-3). A total of three tunnels (Total: 3164 Metres Length) i.e. Tunnel-1 (Nadhal Tunnel) of 219 Metres Length, Tunnel-2 (Waverly Tunnel) of 2625 Metres Length and Tunnel-3 (Kirawali Tunnel) of 320 Meter Length is under construction as part of this project. The Breakthrough was already achieved in Tunnel-1 (Nadhal Tunnel) on 10.05.2023. Presently the preparatory works for BLT (Ballastless Track) are under Progress.
Image Credit (representational): MoR
Breakthrough of the Tunnel-3:
- The work of Excavation of Tunnel-3 i.e. Kirawali Tunnel was started on 29th Sept. 2023 and breakthrough was achieved on 30-March-2024 after completing 320 metres Tunnel Length i.e. from the Ch. 26125 to Ch. 26445.
- The work of Concrete lining and BLT is planned to be Completed by year end. The Entire Tunnel Length was bored through the Class-3 Rocks and the last twenty metres are supported on Lattice girders.
- The work was challenging as it was carried out in the vicinity of homes and commercial establishments.
Image Credit (representational): MoR
Previous Achievement:
Progress of longest Tunnel of the project: The work of the underground excavation on Tunnel-2 (Waverly Tunnel) of 2625 Metres length is Completed for 2425 Metres as on 02.04.2024 i.e. from T2P1 Side Ch. 22900 to 24057: 1157 Metres & from T2P2 side Ch. 25525 to 24257: 1268 Metres.
Background:
- The Mumbai suburban railway network on the Central Railway has two corridors – i) Mainline corridor and ii) Harbour line corridor. The Main line corridor connects Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSTM) with Kalyan.
- At Kalyan, the Mainline corridor bifurcates into two corridors – i) South-East corridor of Kalyan-Karjat-Khopoli and ii) North-East corridor of Kalyan-Kasara. The Harbour line corridor starts from CSTM and terminates at Panvel.
- Presently, a single line 28.15 km track connects Panvel with Karjat. This alignment traverses the taluks of Panvel, Khalapur and Karjat taluka of Raigad District of Maharashtra state. It caters to goods and a few long distance passenger trains.
Image Credit (representational): MoR
- The Navi Mumbai area, especially around Panvel, has witnessed significant urbanisation and population growth in recent years. The area between Panvel and Karjat is also developing very fast and there is increasing demand for extending the suburban train services to Karjat.
- Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has therefore engaged Omega Analytics Pvt. Ltd. to do the feasibility study for implementing an additional line on the Panvel – Karjat section.
Future Outlook:
With the completion of Tunnel-3 breakthrough and ongoing progress in Tunnel-2 excavation, the Panvel-Karjat suburban corridor project is steadily advancing. Upon completion, it will not only improve connectivity but also cater to the burgeoning transportation needs of the region, fostering socio-economic growth and enhancing the quality of life for residents.
Source: MRVC – Press Release | Featured Image Credit (representational): MoR
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