Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: Local trains in Mumbai are in for an upgrade on the lines of the Metro network. Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on August 12 said that the Central Government has approved the manufacturing of upgraded suburban local trains. Factories producing modern trains like the Vande Bharat will now manufacture automatic, air‑conditioned, clean, metro‑like local trains.
The announcements were made during a virtual event which marked the e‑inauguration of two major Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) infrastructure projects, the launch of the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) ‘Arjuna’ on the Thane side of the Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel Project, and the oႈcial naming ceremony of the Àyover connecting BKC’s G‑Block to the Eastern Express Highway after former Chief Minister Barrister Babasaheb Anantrao Bhosale.
A total of 238 metro‑grade suburban trains are to be introduced by 2027, and by March 2030, the entire suburban network will transition to metro‑style trains.
A plan to build six connector roads was initiated in 2017–18, later expanded to eight routes. With the inauguration of the ¿nal connector link, connectivity between Eastern and Western Mumbai receives a major boost. The new elevated route from Bharat Nagar Road (University Campus) to Vakola Junction will ensure a seamless travel experience.
