MUMBAI: Dedicating to the nation the two additional railway lines connecting Thane and Diva on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the corridor will “increase the ease of living” of Mumbaikars.
Modi, who participated in the inauguration of the Thane-Diva fifth and sixth lines via videoconferencing, also flagged off two new air-conditioned suburban services.
The Thane-Diva fifth and sixth lines, built at a cost of Rs 620 crore, will help significantly remove the interference of long-distance train traffic with the local train timetable. With the additional lines, Central Railway will run 36 new services, including 34 AC services, from Saturday. Though the fifth and sixth lines had been commissioned on February 8, CR decided to increase the number of services after the PM’s event.
“The new railway lines will bring a change in the lives of Mumbaikars and increase their ease of living. These AC locals are part of the central government’s commitment to modernise train services in the country,” Modi said. “Now efforts are being made to increase the capacity of Mumbai manifold in building a self-reliant India. That is why we have special focus on building 21st century infrastructure in Mumbai,” he added.
On the bullet train project, the PM said: “The Ahmedabad-Mumbai high-speed rail is the need of the country. This will strengthen Mumbai’s potential, Mumbai’s identity as City of Dreams. It is a priority for all of us that this project be completed at a fast pace.”
Taking a dig at the previous Congress-led government, Modi said: “The Thane-Diva fifth and sixth lines project was approved in 2008 and scheduled to be completed in 2015. But, it was only after our government came into power, the project made progress.”
The inauguration held at Thane station was attended by railway minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Union minister of state for railways Raosaheb Danve. Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray and governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari also participated via video link. Thackeray thanked Modi for the project.
“Apart from 34 new AC services, CR will run two more non-AC services on the main line. With this, the total number of services on the main line increases from 858 to 894,” CR chief public relations officer Shivaji Sutar said.
CR runs a total of 1,774 services and after the introduction of these new services the number will touch 1,810.
Sutar added: “Of the 44 AC services, 25 will run as fast services (24 fast and one semi-fast ). The number of fast services will also increase from 257 to 270. There will be a total of 624 services, as against 601 now on the main line.” The 44 AC suburban services on the main line will be run utilising three AC rakes.
