Railway ministry plans to invest Rs 40,000 crore in Mumbai

The minister said he has recently held a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in this regard.

Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu said on Friday his ministry has chalked out a plan to invest Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion) in different projects in Mumbai, blueprint of which will be prepared before August 15.

"I belong to this city.

"And not only me but all my colleagues know what needs to be done so ample attention would also be given to Mumbai," Prabhu said at the foundation stone laying ceremony of an foot overbridge at suburban Khar railway station in Mumbai.

The minister said he has recently held a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis in this regard.

"I held a meeting with the chief minister, chairman of Railway Board and other senior railway officials and we have chalked out a plan to invest over Rs 40,000 crore (Rs 400 billion).

"Its blueprint will be prepared before August 15," he said.

Prabhu said Central and the state government will collaborate to implement some of the big projects in the megapolis like elevated corridors between Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Panvel; Churchgate-Virar elevated corridor project to be completed in two phases.

"I have personally spoken to senior officials to execute the work within stipulated time frame and if there is any technical glitch, I will personally see to it," he said.

Outlining his priority to turn Indian railway into a world-class transport medium, Prabhu claimed, "The way we have invested money through some extra budgetary resources, no other government in the past in its first two years tenure has done."

The minister later inaugurated a new foot overbridge at suburban Vile Parle station built with a cost of Rs 2.30 crore (Rs 23 million).

Member of Parliament Poonam Mahajan, Member of Legislative Assembly Parag Alawani, Mumbai mayor Snehal Ambekar, MLA Ashish Shelar and other senior railway officials were also present on the occasion.

Image: Commuters try to cross railway tracks as trains wait at a suburban station in Mumbai. Photograph: Danish Siddiqui/Reuters