12.7.11

Mumbai's elevated AC rail project



The Maharashtra government and Planning Commission have given inprinciple approval to the elevated rail corridor on the Churchgate-Virar route, which will introduce air-conditioned travel to the suburban railway network. Last month, the pre-feasibility report prepared by US-based railway consultancy firm Systra was approved by top Western Railway officials. Sharat Chandrayan, WR’s chief PRO said the project would cost an estimated Rs 15,000 crore and was likely to be completed by 2019. The state government’s support to the project can help the Railways clear several hurdles. “The government’s cooperation is essential, as the Railways may have to acquire land at certain places to lay tracks or construct stations,” an official said. A few days ago, a presentation was also made to Gajendra Haldea, advisor to the plan panel’s deputy chairman. A source said, “The Planning Commission’s approval is necessary if the project cost goes beyond Rs 1,000 crore. The Planning Commission has also granted inprinciple approval but it is yet to formally convey it to the railway ministry.”



“The track will run underground between Churchgate and Mahalaxmi and then again be elevated up to Santa Cruz station,” he said. “Between Vile Parle and Andheri, the track will be at ground level alongside the existing track since this area falls in the funnel area of aircraft—both the domestic and international and airports are located a few kilometres away from the railway tracks,” Chandrayan said. The track will be elevated beyond Andheri and Dahisar and later run at ground level at Mira Road, but will again be elevated just before Bhayander. The tracks will come down to road level between Naigaon and Vasai and again be elevated from Vasai Road till Virar. There are a total of 83 footoverbridges and 25 road-overbridges on Western Railway but none of these will have to be demolished to build the elevated corridor, as the height of the corridor will vary between 15 metres and 20 metres. The elevated track will come up on piers that will be constructed between existing tracks. For underground routes, the Railways may use cut-and-cover technology or build an underground tunnel. “These engineering decisions will be taken after soil testing and taking into account the cost factor,” said an official. “The number of stations and their locations are yet to be finalised, as factors like connectivity with other modes of transport, land availability and commuter load will have to be considered,” the official said. Constructing an elevated corridor on the Churchgate-Virar route will be a huge challenge as work will have to be carried out on a busy route that is closed to traffic only for a couple of hours, that too before dawn. An official said, “It will be a challenge but we are confident of overcoming hurdles. The launch of some piers will be carried out in between the tracks. However, existing traffic will not be disrupted much as most piers will come up along existing rail tracks.” The railways will use pre-cast piers and girders and these will have to be placed or launched on the side. Problems can be encountered while laying girders and tracks on the piers. The official agreed, “This work will have to be undertaken with extreme caution and precision to avoid any damage to the Over Head Traction on the existing network. This may have to be carried out either by implementing blocks or when traffic is closed on the tracks. “Cost is a major factor in the project. There is an enormous difference when compared with cost of work on the surface, at the elevated level and underground,” the official said. The cost of laying tracks on the surface is estimated at Rs 10 crore per km. However, the cost will rise to anywhere between Rs 50 core to Rs 100 crore per km for elevated tracks. For underground tracks, two methods – cut and cover or underground tunnel – can be used. If the railways opt for underground tunneling method, the cost will be Rs 200 core to Rs 300 crore per km. A railway official said, “More than engineering challenges, we will have to deal with litigations that may crop up before execution of project. We fear opposition from people staying close to the railway tracks, who may oppose the project on the grounds of noise pollution or fearing structural damages to their buildings.”




• Total length of the route: 60km
• Max height: 15-20m
• Estimated cost: 15,000cr
• Completion date: 2019
• Churchgate-Charni Road: Underground
• Charni Road-Santa Cruz: Elevated
• Vile Parle-Andheri: Ground level
• Andheri-Dahisar: Elevated
• Beyond Dahisar, the route will alternate between ground level and elevated tracks up to the final destination, Virar

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