Elevated corridor in Mumbai is tough challenge

The plan in the 2008 railway budget to explore an elevated air-conditioned corridor between Churchgate and Virar seems to have gone off track.

It is an engineering challenge as there is no space on the existing rail corridor to erect pillars with overhead equipment wires and the foot-over-bridges and road-over-bridges at various locations en route, according to Railway officials.

To add to that , there is only a four-hour break in operations on the route to undertake maintenance works, and that too, in the night.

The plan is to have an elevated corridor from Churchgate to Virar along the existing WR suburban corridor which is to be constructed within the railways' right of way.

While the transport experts feel that such a project must be made workable to decongest the roads, many officers from the railways are skeptical about its viability.

"It is too early to say anything. We have appointed RITES Ltd and Sistra, a French consultant, to undertake the feasibility study and will get a report shortly," an official said.

Some feel it is a good idea to have an elevated corridor. But, such a project will have to pass over existing bridges, flyovers, railway signals and electrification equipments.