Mumbai region explores automated transit system between Virar and Nalasopara

Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation is considering a 3.1-km Automated Guideway Transit system to connect the upcoming Mumbai-Ahmedabad bullet train station at Virar with the proposed Metro Line 13 station in Nalasopara.

The proposal forms part of a local-area development plan for the 463-hectare area surrounding the planned high-speed rail station. The civic corporation is preparing the plan with consultant Tandon Urban Solutions and a Japanese team that includes the Japan International Cooperation Agency.

The proposed alignment would start near Sahakar Nagar in Virar East and run towards the Metro station in Nalasopara, crossing the existing suburban railway tracks along the way, reported The Indian Express.

The Automated Guideway Transit system is being examined as a driverless transport option using wheeled vehicles on a dedicated guideway. Its planners describe it as an elevated automated bus that could be smaller and less expensive to construct than a conventional Metro system.

The initially proposed capacity is around 50 to 70 passengers per vehicle or trainset. Officials are also examining how the route might connect the bullet train station with the suburban railway network in Nalasopara.

Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation commissioner Prithviraj B P said a connection between the high-speed rail station and a local Metro station was among the requirements being considered for development around the bullet train facility.

The proposal is intended to address the challenge of connecting a major intercity transport hub with local public transport in a densely populated residential area.

A draft local-area development plan is expected to be prepared by early November before being submitted to the Maharashtra government for approval.

The Automated Guideway Transit system remains at the proposal stage. Its final route, technology, capacity and implementation arrangements have not been decided. Officials are also examining whether the corridor could be extended further towards the Virar coast.

The proposal is one of several transport options being considered in the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region, where authorities are planning additional Metro, rail and other public-transport connections.