Panvel: The long-awaited Panvel–Karjat railway line project has entered its final phase, with officials confirming that most of the infrastructure work has been completed and only minor finishing tasks remain. Railway authorities are targeting completion of the remaining work within the next three months, with the line expected to be handed over to the Central Railway (CR) by October.

According to officials from the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd (MRVC), track linking, tunnel work, and welding activities are currently in progress. Station finishing, platforms, and subways are the only remaining components before operational readiness.

“We are ready with the entire infrastructure, now only minor finishing work of stations, sub-ways and platforms is pending. Track-linking tunnel blast-less track work, welding is in progress,” said Vilas Wadekar, Chairman and Managing Director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation.

He further added, “It is due to the monsoon that we are aiming for three months; we would have been ready in two months.”

The 29.6 km Panvel–Karjat corridor is expected to significantly improve connectivity for passengers in Raigad and surrounding regions. Once operational, it will reduce travel time between Karjat and CST by around 20 minutes and offer an alternate suburban route for commuters.

“Currently, Karjat passengers are dependent only on the main line to reach CST. With the completion of this section, they will get an alternate route. Besides, they will also get direct connectivity to Harbour Line,” Wadekar said.

The line will also provide direct suburban connectivity to stations such as Chikhale, Mohape, and Chowk, linking them with the Harbour Line network. Officials have informed both the Central Railway and the Railway Board about the progress, and services are expected to begin initially with limited train operations.

Nearly 90 percent of the project has already been completed, and the remaining technical work is being carried out on a war footing. Once operational, the new corridor is expected to benefit lakhs of daily commuters by easing congestion and improving travel efficiency.