Centre doubles budget for city rail transport, allocates 1,777 crore

Mumbai: The Union Budget for 2025-26 earmarked Rs 1,777 crore for Mumbai Urban Transport Projects (MUTP), more than doubling the previous year’s allocation of Rs 789 crore. The state govt is expected to match the Centre’s contribution, taking the total funding for the year to Rs 3,554 crore.Officials said the increased allocation is expected to support the ongoing suburban railway infrastructure projects under MUTP, which aim to improve network efficiency, ease congestion, and upgrade passenger amenities. According to officials from Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), there was no shortage of funds in the last financial year (2024-25), and work on various MUTP components continued without interruption. If required, additional funds are typically provided through revised estimates in the financial year’s final quarter.MRVC chairman and managing director Vilas Wadekar said the funding will help sustain momentum on several key projects. These include new railway corridors, capacity augmentation through additional lines, station redevelopment, and procurement of modern rolling stock.Under MUTP-II, which has a project cost of Rs 8,080 crore, major components include the 5th and 6th lines between CSMT and Kurla, and the 6th line between Mumbai Central and Borivli.

MUTP-III, with a project cost of Rs 10,497 crore, involves quadrupling the Virar-Dahanu corridor, developing a new suburban link between Panvel and Karjat, and procuring 47 AC 12-car rakes. MUTP-IIIA, the largest of the projects with an estimated cost of Rs 33,690 crore, includes extension of the Harbour line to Borivli.