Maharashtra to get new East-West rail link

Union Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw has announced plans for a new Surat-Dankuni East-West rail corridor aimed at bringing railway connectivity to parts of Maharashtra that currently lie outside the network.

Speaking via video conference during the flag-off of the CSMT-Sawantwadi Road Express, Vaishnaw said the corridor — first proposed in the Union Budget — will support both passenger and freight movement while strengthening industrial and rural connectivity across western Maharashtra and the Nashik region. He noted that the idea gained momentum after Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis suggested integrating the eastern and western Dedicated Freight Corridors with emerging industrial zones during a recent event in Pune.

According to the minister, faster cargo movement from Jawaharlal Nehru Port toward northern, eastern, and central India — once the existing freight corridors are complete — could further boost logistics and industrial growth across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

Vaishnaw also shared updates on Mumbai’s suburban rail network, which currently runs around 3,200 local train services daily. Indian Railways is upgrading signalling infrastructure and expanding capacity, with the Integral Coach Factory in Chennai directed to manufacture 28 new air-conditioned suburban trains — the first expected to roll out in 2027. The Railways aims to have 238 new-generation local trains, featuring automatic doors and modern passenger amenities, in service by 2030. Railway projects worth roughly ₹18,000 crore are currently underway in Mumbai.

On the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (bullet train) project, Vaishnaw said two tunnel boring machines are simultaneously working on the undersea tunnel section between Bandra-Kurla Complex and Thane, with the first operational section targeted for 2027.

Separately, Indian Railways plans to run around 350 special trains during the upcoming Ganesh festival to handle extra passenger demand, particularly on routes connecting Mumbai with the Konkan region.