File picture of construction on the two additional lines which were initially to be constructed at a cost of Rs 130 crore Heres some good news on the much-delayed Thane-Diva additional rail lines. As per the latest update from Central Railway, construction work on the 11-year-old pending 9-km stretch of additional lines may finally be finished by December as the rail bridge over the creek is in final stages of completion and the routes will open to the public by 2021 subject to train trials. The project, which was sanctioned in 2008, is part of Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP 2B) and crucial for the Central Railway (CR) as it will be a key factor in segregating the outstation and local train rail corridor, and thus improve the speed/frequency of trains. The first deadline was December 2015, which was later revised to December 2017, then to March 2019, June 2020 and is now pushed to 2021. The cost has escalated from Rs 130 crore to Rs 440 crore. Advanced stage of completion "The 5th and 6th lines between Thane-Diva section are in advanced stages of completion. Earthwork, 31 minor bridges, three major bridges, a 170m tunnel, Road Under Bridge at Kopri, platforms, foot overbridge at Diva, Mumbra and Kalwa station and service building work have been completed," said Dr Sumat V Deulkar, additional divisional railway manager (administration) in his reply to a query by Member of Parliament from Kalyan, Shrikant Shinde, a copy of which is with mid-day. "Track linking of about 15 km has been completed out of the entire 19 km and 80% of rail flyover work has been completed. Balance work of the rail flyover is expected to be completed by December 2020. After completion of balance work, necessary approval and sanction of Commissioner of Railway Safety will be obtained and block working for cut and connection will be taken up," he said in the reply. Complete segregation of lines The Thane-Diva additional lines are one of the most crucial projects on the Central Railway that promise to boost its capacity and have been in the wait for a long time. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation has been spearheading the project. Keep scrolling to read more news Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates. Mid-Day is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel (@middayinfomedialtd) and stay updated with the latest news

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