Panvel-Karjat new suburban line 99% complete, targeted to open by December 2026

There is good news for commuters in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai. The new Panvel-Karjat suburban line has been awaited for a long time, and work on it is now nearly complete. According to information from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation, 99 per cent of the project was finished by the end of September 2026. Only the final tasks remain, and railway officials said December 2026 has been set as the target.

The double line is 29.6 km long, and the government has sanctioned Rs 2,782 crore for it. Once the line is operational, the journey from Panvel to Karjat will become easier, and the links between Navi Mumbai and Raigad will grow stronger.

The biggest tasks in the project, the bridges and tunnels, have been completed. Nine major bridges, 35 minor bridges, five railway flyovers and 16 underbridges were to be built along the route, and all of them are done. Two large flyovers at Panvel and Karjat are also ready. There are three tunnels on the line. Excavation of all three is complete and track has been laid inside them. Lighting and other electrical work is now under way in the tunnels.

Track laying is also in its final stage. Of a total of 69.70 km, 68.70 km of track has been connected. Ballasting and track fitting are also done. Track has been laid on the bridge that passes under the Pune Expressway. The difficult work of changing points and tracks at Panvel, Chowk and Mohape has also been completed successfully.

Work on the stations is moving quickly. The New Panvel station has begun operating. The station buildings at Chikhale and Mohape are fully ready. At Chowk, the station building and the underpass have been built, and work on sheds and the surrounding area is now on. At Karjat, work on the platform, lifts, escalators and stairs is in its last phase.

Signalling is essential for running trains, and 95 per cent of it is done. Testing of electronic interlocking at Mohape and Chowk stations has also been carried out, and both the factory test and the site test have been passed. Telecom work is also in progress.

Land acquisition has not been a problem here, although projects often stall for that reason. The required private and government land has been acquired. Forest department land has also been obtained and work there is complete. All permissions have been received.

When the line opens, Mumbai's suburban network will get a new option. There will be a second route to Karjat, crowding will ease and time will be saved. Home prices in Navi Mumbai, Panvel and Raigad are expected to rise, new jobs will come and development will gain pace. According to railway officials, December 2026 is the target and trains will run around that time. Commuters should be able to travel on the Panvel-Karjat local in the new year.