99% of Karjat-Panvel rail link done, MRVC targets December 2026 for rest of work

Work on the Karjat-Panvel rail route, important for Mumbai's suburban commuters, has reached its final stage. Some 99 per cent of the project, being built to strengthen rail connectivity in Navi Mumbai and Raigad district, has been completed. The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation has set a target of completing the remaining work by December 2026. Commuters are now watching to see when the first local train will run on the route.

Once the line opens, the Panvel-Karjat journey, which now takes up to an hour and a half, is expected to take about 40 minutes.

The Panvel-Karjat suburban rail corridor is being built under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-3 (MUTP-III). The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is executing the double-line project. The project, costing about Rs 2,782 crore, will provide an alternative rail route between Panvel and Karjat. Commuters in Raigad district, including Navi Mumbai, will benefit, and rail traffic capacity in the area will also increase.

The total length of the project is given as about 29.6 km. Some project details put the length at 29.9 km. The route will have five major stations: Panvel, Chikhale, Poyanje (Mohape), Chowk and Karjat.

All major construction on the route is complete. This includes 9 major bridges, 35 minor bridges, 5 road overbridges and 16 road underpasses. Work on railway flyovers at Panvel and Karjat is also complete. Excavation, final lining and ballastless track laying in all three tunnels of the route are 100 per cent done. Work on installing electronic and mechanical systems inside the tunnels is now progressing rapidly. These systems will be necessary to start rail traffic safely.

Track linking is also almost finished. Of the 69.7 km of track planned, 68.7 km has been linked. The underpass beneath the Mumbai-Pune Expressway has also been completed successfully. Necessary track changes and point insertion work at Panvel, Chowk and Mohape have been done as well.

Preparations at the stations are also in the last stage. The new station building at Panvel is operational. Station building work at Chikhale and Mohape is complete. The station building and subway at Chowk are fully ready.

MRVC has set a target of completing the remaining work by December 2026. However, a firm date for the first local train has not been announced. The picture on local services will become clear only after the remaining work, the necessary technical checks and approval to start rail traffic.

The project will be important for commuters in Navi Mumbai, Panvel, Karjat and the Raigad area. All eyes are now on whether the December 2026 target is met and when local services actually begin.