* Amongst the major metro-cities of world as well as of India, Mumbai has the highest population density.
* No wonder, in spite of the underground sewrage network, it remains amongst the filthiest.
* Very low elevation, heavy rains, dangerous flooding, especially during the high tide only make the matter worse.
* It is very difficult to keep the Mumbai Rly...
more... stations clean due to above facts and a very large footfall mainly due to large number of suburban paxs.
* Mumbai is continuously losing its status at national as well as international level due to lack of investment in its infrastructure and gradually getting more and more crowded much beyond the level of sustainability. Lack of fast and convenient mode of transport is one of the main reason, the populace is not getting disbursed enough.
* Two pronged approach required,
1- develop the adjoining areas and give faster and extended suburban rail/ metro commuting facility
2- develop the nearby cities and give fast train commuting facility (160-200 kmph) very much like Rapid Rail Transport being planned to connect nearby cities like Alwar, Meerut, Panipat, etc with Delhi.
* ----STRENGTHENING SUBURBAN RAIL/ METRO TRANSPORT----
It is necessary to develop adjoining area like Vasai, Virar and beyond, Beyond Kalyan, Navi Mumbai etc to reduce the crowding in Mumbai.
Fast tracking of following projects essential to develop these suburbs which can act as counter magnets and decongest the Mumbai
Following are som of the important additions rquired in this respect:
1- Virar-Dahanu-Quadrupling,
2- Six tracking of BCT-VR,
3- Six tracking of CSTM-Kalyan,
4- Quadrupling CSTM-Panvel harbour route
5- Tripling/Quadrupling of Kalyan-Kasara, Kalyan-Khopoli
6- New corridors like Virai-VasaiRd-Panvel-Alibaug (a planned project) etc
*------- DEVELOPING RAPID RAIL TRANSPORT TO NEARBY CITIES ----
Rapid rail transport @ 180-200 kmph shall make the cities in 200-250km range shall act as counter magnet to Mumbai Metro so that Population growth takes place in these cities and new nodes may be developed enroute to absorb the future population growth in the Mumbai Region. A combination of level tracks, elevated tracks and tunnels may be required to keep the distances and hence commuting times to lower side, to make the scheme successful.
Following could be some of the options
1- Mumbai-Pune (150km) (Future extension to Solapur 400-Secunderabad750)
2- Mumbai-Nashik(175km) (Future extension to Malegaon250-Dhule-Indore550-BPL725)
3- Mumbai-Aurangabad (250km) (Future extension to NGP750)
4- Mumbai-Ahmednagar(200km)
5- Mumbai-Vapi(150km) (Future extension to ST250-BRC400-ADI500)
Above BG RRT rail of Mumbai, and similar ones from other metro like Delhi, Kolkata, Banglore, Chennai etc can later be extended step by step, in long run, to become a unified nationwide network of SHS trains.
