Mumbai to soon get a taste of life in a Metro

[ganeshbala]

Hi Acumen's

`Mumbai:

For lakhs of Mumbaikars who sweat it out in the local trains daily, the wait is expected to end. Construction work on Mumbai's ambitious Metro rail project finally begins on Friday.

In the first phase, the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar section will be built, reducing congestion on the east-west corridor, to carry an estimated seven lakh passengers daily.

"Metro will make travel comfortable and cut travel time from 90 minutes to 21 mins," says Director, metro One, K P Maheshwari.Inaugurated amid much hype in June 2006 by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the Metro project has not had a smooth ride in Mumbai so far."We had challenges, all underground utilities had to be avoided so we altered route," says Maheshwari.

With several encroachments and diversions on its alignment route, Metro rail authorities have had to tackle repeated delays that even shot up the estimated project costs

The initial cost pegged at Rs 1500 crore has now increased to Rs 2356 crore. The 14-km Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar route covers the most densely populated area and the project is expected to be operational within 30 months.

But with construction work for its two-tier station halted due to the airport funnel, traffic diversions will follow, making commuting a tad difficult for some.Till such time, Mumbaikars will continue to rely on the local train services – the city's original lifeline.


SOURCE - ibnlive.com