Mumbai, Jun 7 (PTI) The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation on Friday said it had achieved successful breakthrough of the longest tunnel on the under-construction Panvel-Karjat suburban railway line.
Breakthrough of the 2,265 meter long Wavarle tunnel, excavation of which began on February 22 last year, was achieved in the afternoon in the presence of MRVC CMD Subhash Chand Gupta and other senior personnel, said chief public relations officer Sunil Udasi.
"The successful breakthrough of the tunnel represents a major milestone in the Panvel-Karjat railway project, paving the way for enhanced connectivity and transportation efficiency in the Mumbai suburban region," Udasi said.
The Panvel-Karjat line, being built as part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase 3, has three tunnels, the other two being 219 metres and 320 metres long, he informed.
"The Wavarle tunnel, measuring 7.323 metres in height and 13.282 metres in width, was excavated using the New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM). It will be the first ballastless track of the Mumbai suburban network and has features like public refuge areas, a tunnel control system (SCADA), lighting, firefighting and ventilation mechanisms meeting contemporary international standards," Udasi informed.
"Significant challenges were encountered, including fractured rock masses with water seepage and minimal cover during the excavation as well as two water streams crossing the tunnel alignment. Despite these challenges, an average underground excavation output of 175 metres per month was achieved through meticulous planning, with two rounds of blasting per day during the day as night time blasting is not allowed," Udasi pointed out.
Under MUTP-3 initiative, MRVC has undertaken various projects like the quadrupling of tracks between Virar and Dahanu Road on Western Railway, the elevated suburban link between Airoli and Kalawa stations on Central Railway, the procurement of 565 suburban locals, and trespass control on the mid-section on Central and Western Railway, besides the Panvel-Karjat double line project worth Rs 476 crore, as per the rail PSU's website.
Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is a joint venture of the Union and Maharashtra governments and is dedicated to improving suburban rail infrastructure to provide commuters enhanced travelling experience, said officials.