Central Railway has finalised a fourth rail line between Karjat and Panvel, giving a major push to connectivity in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

This new line is expected to bring the Navi Mumbai International Airport much closer to Pune, as per Mid-day.

What’s the Plan?

A Central Railway spokesperson confirmed that the final Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 29-km Panvel–Karjat (Chowk) fourth line has been submitted to the Railway Board on 7th April. The project is expected to cost around Rs 491 crore.

This new line will help reduce congestion, especially on the busy corridor between Karjat and Panvel, and will also improve suburban train services in the area.

What Makes This Project Special?

This fourth line is in addition to the two suburban rail lines already under construction by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, which are expected to be ready by December 2025.

• The older line on this route is mostly used for goods trains and a few long-distance passenger trains.
• Now, this old line will also be doubled to increase capacity and improve travel times.

Longest Tunnels and Bridges on Suburban Network

The new suburban corridor will follow a fresh alignment between Panvel and Karjat, featuring some of the longest tunnels and bridges in the Mumbai suburban railway network.

Previously, mid-day had reported that the Panvel–Karjat railway project, part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3 (MUTP-3), could be a game-changer. Central Railway has already prepared three local trains for future service on the corridor.