The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) announced a significant achievement with the breakthrough of the 2,625m Wavarle tunnel, marking it as the longest tunnel in the Mumbai suburban railway network. This tunnel forms part of the Panvel-Karjat railway project, which is under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-3 (MUTP-3). Construction on this project commenced on February 22 of the previous year.
According to Sunil Udasi, the chief public relations officer of MRVC, the Panvel-Karjat railway project entails the construction of three tunnels totaling 3,164m. Breakthroughs for the Nadhamuni (219m) and Kirawali (320m) tunnels were also achieved. MRVC has completed 50% of the Rs 27.82-billion project and aims to open it by December 2025.
The Wavarle tunnel, constructed using the new Austrian tunnelling method, involves cyclic excavation followed by primary support and delayed secondary lining. The tunnel includes features such as a ballastless track, public refuge areas, a tunnel control system, lighting, firefighting, and ventilation systems meeting international standards. It measures 7.32m tall and 13.28m wide.
Excavation encountered significant challenges, including fractured rock masses with water seepage and minimal cover as low as 12m. Two water streams cross the tunnel alignment at the low cover zone. Despite these difficulties, an average excavation output of 175m per month was achieved through careful planning and daytime blasting, as night blasting is prohibited.
The new double-line corridor is expected to enhance connectivity by enabling local trains to operate between Mumbai and Karjat via Panvel, supplementing the existing line primarily used for goods trains and a few long-distance passenger services. It will also connect Navi Mumbai with Raigad district and serve as a catalyst for the development of Panvel, Karjat, and the proposed Navi Mumbai Airport Influence Notified Area.
