An eight-year-old proposal for a terminus at Panvel station has been revived by the Central Railway, with tenders for Rs 38 crore set to open on Monday. A terminal will make it possible for outstation trains to be terminated at Panvel, and a rail transport hub can be developed in the vicinity of the proposed second international airport.
Currently, Panvel serves only as the terminating point for suburban trains on the Harbour Line and a passage for south-bound trains that make a brief halt at Panvel. Sometimes, a few trains are diverted via the Panvel-Karjat route.
However, with Union Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu keen on developing satellite termini, as mentioned by him in his Rail Budget speech, CR officials feel Panvel, which has space and is strategically located, can be converted into a major terminus for outstation trains.
Once this is developed, Navi Mumbai residents won't have to go to CST, Dadar or LTT to board a long-distance train.
The plan was first made in 2007 by CR's then general manager, VK Kaul, who had proposed to develop a terminus at Panvel at Rs 22 crore. The Panvel masterplan has included everything from extra platforms, pit lines to park trains, yards for servicing and a big circulating area for commuter traffic.
On Monday, tenders will be floated for construction of platforms, minor bridges, earthwork, subway and RCC deck slab, washable aprons for train maintenance on the New Panvel side in connection with the Panvel Coaching Terminus. The railways are also developing addi tional corridors around Panvel.
The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation has been conducting surveys of two new projects for suburban lines connecting Virar-Diva-Panvel and an additional line between Panvel and Karjat. With these, Panvel will become a transport hub for suburban and outstation trains by the next decade.
“The idea is also to have a terminus at Panvel so that more and more trains can be terminated there and not enter the suburban corridors, which leads to delays and congestion,“ a CR official said.
The Panvel terminus plan will also help develop the entire Mumbai Metropolitan Region as the railways can then take trains to smaller townships like Alibaug and Roha. Also, the existing network of rail lines in the region that ferries goods can be upgrading without difficulty.
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