Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Saturday stated that development work on the Bandra Kurla Advanced (BKC) station—set to be the origin level for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet prepare—is progressing at a quick tempo.
Vaishnaw, who visited the under-construction underground station at BKC, reviewed the progress alongside officers from the Nationwide Excessive-Pace Rail Company Restricted (NHSRCL), Central Railway, and Western Railway. The BKC station is a part of the over 500 km-long Mumbai-Ahmedabad Excessive-Pace Rail Hall venture.
He knowledgeable reporters that the bottom B3 basement degree has been accomplished, and wall strengthening work is underway. “The station wall work has began, and concurrently, tunnel work can also be progressing very quick,” the minister stated, PTI reported.
Vaishnaw famous that the BKC station will probably be a multi-storey construction. “The operational areas will probably be situated on ranges B1 to B3. The B3 will function a prepare parking space, B2 will home operational capabilities, and B1 with the bottom degree will serve passengers. Work is underway to construct this world-class station,” he added.
NHSRCL officers added that roughly 76 per cent of the excavation on the BKC station website has been accomplished.
The Railway Minister additionally stated that development work past the tunnel part at Shil Phata has gained important momentum following land acquisition in Maharashtra.
Panvel, Juinagar, freight hall works inspected
After inspecting the BKC website, Vaishnaw headed to Navi Mumbai the place he assessed infrastructure work at Panvel and Juinagar railway stations. Talking at Panvel, he stated the federal government is dedicated to modernising Mumbai’s rail community with a long-term imaginative and prescient.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi has guided us to work with a imaginative and prescient for the following 50 years. In that spirit, we’re setting up a serious teaching terminal at Panvel, which can function an origin level for trains,” Vaishnaw stated.
The brand new terminal, he added, is being constructed to deal with rising passenger masses and enhance operational effectivity.
Freight hall in last levels, set to ease congestion
Vaishnaw additionally reviewed the devoted freight hall, terming it a important venture nearing completion. He stated the hall’s connection to the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Belief (JNPT) is advancing effectively and can assist divert items trains away from busy passenger strains, thereby bettering prepare motion throughout Mumbai’s suburban and specific routes.
“The goal isn’t just enlargement, however transformation—making Indian Railways extra environment friendly, safer, and future-ready,” he emphasised.
Mission funding and anticipated timeline
The entire price of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad Excessive-Pace Rail Hall is pegged at Rs 1.08 lakh crore. The central authorities will contribute Rs 10,000 crore, whereas Gujarat and Maharashtra will every contribute Rs 5,000 crore. The remaining funds will probably be sourced via a mortgage from Japan at an rate of interest of simply 0.1 per cent.
Final week, Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said that the bullet prepare venture is anticipated to change into operational by 2028.
(With PTI inputs)
