The Ministry of Railways has approved a massive expansion of railway infrastructure in Maharashtra, sanctioning 38 projects covering 5,098 km at a total cost of ₹89,780 crore. These include 11 new lines, 2 gauge conversion projects, and 25 doubling/multitracking works, aimed at enhancing capacity, safety, and connectivity across the state.
Sharp Rise in Budget Allocation
Railway investment in Maharashtra has increased dramatically over the past decade.
2009–14: ₹1,171 crore per year
2025–26: ₹23,778 crore (over 20 times higher)
Track Expansion Progress
Between 2014 and 2025, Maharashtra witnessed a significant acceleration in track commissioning:
2009–14: 292 km (58.4 km/year)
2014–25: 2,292 km (208.36 km/year), more than three times faster
Mumbai Suburban Network: Capacity Boost
To address congestion in the Mumbai suburban system—currently running ~3,200 suburban and ~120 Mail/Express trains daily—Indian Railways has undertaken extensive upgrades, including new platforms, pit lines, and stabling lines at key stations such as Bandra Terminus, Mumbai Central, Dadar, Vasai Road, Panvel–Kalamboli, Kalyan, Virar, and Dahanu Road.
Additionally, platform extensions at 34 stations are underway to accommodate 15-car EMU trains.
MUTP Projects Approved
To further enhance suburban capacity, the following Mumbai Urban Transport Projects have been sanctioned:
MUTP-II: ₹8,087 crore
MUTP-III: ₹10,947 crore
MUTP-III A: ₹33,690 crore
Key corridors include CSMT–Kurla (5th & 6th lines), Borivali–Virar (5th & 6th lines), Virar–Dahanu Road (3rd & 4th lines), Panvel–Karjat suburban corridor, Airoli–Kalwa link, and multiple Kalyan-area expansions.
New Suburban Trains
To improve passenger movement, 238 new 12-car rakes with doors have been approved at a cost of ₹19,293 crore under MUTP-III and IIIA. Procurement is already underway.
Project Status Snapshot (as of March 2025)
Total sanctioned length: 5,098 km
Commissioned so far: 2,360 km
Expenditure incurred: ₹39,407 crore
Recently Completed Projects
Major completed works include:
Pune–Miraj–Londa doubling (467 km)
Manmad–Jalgaon third line
Jabalpur–Gondia and Chhindwara–Nagpur gauge conversions
Panvel–Pen and Pen–Roha doubling
Daund–Gulbarga doubling
Ongoing Mega Projects
Key projects under execution include:
Gondia–Ballarshah doubling
Wardha–Ballarshah and Wardha–Bhusaval multi-line expansions
Indore–Manmad new line
Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)–Parbhani doubling
Jalna–Jalgaon new line
Vadhavan Port–New Palghar rail link
High-Speed Rail & Freight Corridors
Mumbai–Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail: 100% land acquisition completed in Maharashtra; civil works in progress.
Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC): 178 km passes through Maharashtra; 76 km already operational. Connectivity to JNPT will significantly boost freight movement to Delhi-NCR.
Surveys and Future Planning
From 2022–23 to 2025–26, surveys for 98 projects spanning 8,603 km (new lines, gauge conversion, and doubling) have been approved, reflecting long-term planning for rail growth.
The Ministry clarified that railway projects are approved based on operational needs, traffic demand, connectivity benefits, socio-economic impact, and fund availability, rather than state-wise allocation alone.
