MRVC CMD to chair Maharashtra panel on rail, Metro and RRTS

Vilas Sopan Wadekar, chairman and managing director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), will chair a state task force on the future of rail-based transport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and other Maharashtra cities.

The panel has been asked to prepare a plan covering railway-network expansion, Metro corridors and Regional Rapid Transit System (RRTS) options. It will also assess the feasibility of semi-high-speed rail connections between two major cities.

Representatives from the Urban Development Department, Maha-Metro, Mumbai Metro Rail Corporation and MMRDA will serve on the task force. Planning representatives from CIDCO and metropolitan authorities in Pune, Nashik, Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar and Nagpur will participate as invitees, along with a representative of Maha Mumbai Metro Operation Corporation.

The state decided to form the panel after an October 7 meeting chaired by the additional chief secretary of the Urban Development Department. The study will assess operational suitability, technical feasibility and financial viability before recommending transport systems for different regions.

The task force will submit its recommendations to the state government, including policy and coordination measures for an integrated network under the Viksit Maharashtra 2047 vision.