Mumbai's ambitious rail corridor project to face indefinite delay

The Rs 20,000-crore (Rs 200 billion) Mumbai Elevated Rail Corridor is in for an indefinite delay as it is being reworked, marking a setback to the ambitious rapid transport project.

A meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh was told that a fresh traffic study would be conducted on 60-km long elevated corridor between Churchgate and Virar.

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"It was agreed that a fresh traffic study would be conducted taking into account the traffic capacity being created by the new Mumbai Metro line which is partially on the same alignment. The modalities on moving ahead with the project would also be finalised soon after that," a PMO statement said after the meeting also attended by Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan.

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The elevated rail corridor project is part of the Rs 1 lakh crore infrastructure projects which have been short-listed by the steering group set up by the Prime Minister to accelerate growth in infrastructure.

"This is a setback as it will further delay the project for an indefinite period," a Railway Ministry official said.

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While RITES has already done the traffic study of the 60-km long Churchgate-Virar elevated corridor, the request for quotation (RFQ) for the Rs 20,000 crore project was slated to be closed on November 29 after third extension.

There are a total of eight major players, including Reliance Infrastructure, Gammon, L&T, ILFS and GMR, which have shown interest in the project.

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