The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has approved Rs 336.90 billion for Phase-III-A of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project. The recently approved project is expected to be completed on the coming five years. 

The Mumbai suburban railway network on the Central and Western Railways is reportedly 385 km-long route. Of the five corridors, two are on the Western and Central line each and one on the Harbour. The project will reportedly also comprise few features such as air-conditioned coaches with automatic door operation to improve comfort level and safety of commuters, seamless travel for long distance suburban passengers by extending and creating corridors and improvement in passenger amenities and improved passengers’ movement at stations.

That said, it is also expected to include decongestion of entry and exit at the stations, increase in safety, capacity and efficiency of the suburban network by the introduction of Communication Based Train Control System and segregation of suburban rail operation on Central and Western Railway.

Recently, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the government has signed a $926 million loan agreement to operate two lines for the Mumbai metro rail system that will ease the distress of millions by decongesting the city.