Panvel-Karjat Suburban Corridor: 72% Work of 3 Tunnels Completed

Mumbai Railway Development Corporation (MRVC) has made a significant progress in the ongoing work on the Panvel-Karjat double rail line project.

The expansion work at Panvel-Karjat suburban corridor project, which is taken under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project III (MUTP-III), is going on at full speed.

With an overall completion rate of 46 per cent, the recent achievement of a 2km Underground Excavation for Main Tunnel-2 (Waverly Tunnel) marks a crucial milestone in this transformative initiative. 

The ambitious Wavrely Tunnel, spanning an impressive 2625 meters, witnessed the completion of 2038 meters of underground excavation. The construction relies on rock bolting, wire mesh, and shotcrete for support, with the commencement of permanent waterproof concrete lining.

Meanwhile, Tunnel-3 (Kirawali) is also progressing steadily, with 224 meters of excavation completed out of the total 300 meters.

According to MRVC officials, the project involves the construction of three tunnels – Nadhal Tunnel (219 meters), Wavrely Tunnel (2625 meters), and Kirawali Tunnel (300 meters). The breakthrough for Nadhal Tunnel was achieved on May 10, 2023, with waterproofing and concrete lining completed.

With this, till now 72 per cent work of these three tunnels has been completed.

At present there is only one track between Panvel-Karjat and mail, express and goods trains run on this route. If an additional route for Panvel-Karjat local trains is constructed, it will give a sigh of relief and benefit passengers on several other CR routes resulting in shorter commute.

Upon completion, the Panvel-Karjat Suburban Corridor is expected to significantly reduce travel time between CSMT and Karjat by over 30 minutes. The corridor will feature five stations – Mohope, Chowk, Karjat, Chikhale, and Panvel – further enhancing connectivity in the region.

A 29.6 km long double railway line is being constructed between Panvel-Karjat. Two railway flyovers, eight major bridges and 36 small bridges will be built on this route. The route is expected to cost INR 2,812 crore and MRVC targets to complete the double track by December 2025.