Mumbai:

The Indian Railways is building two major freight-only railway lines. These are called the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor (EDFC) and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor (WDFC). The EDFC is 1,337 kilometers long and will connect Ludhiana to Sonnagar. The WDFC is 1,506 kilometers long and will link Jawaharlal Nehru Port Terminal (JNPT) in Mumbai with Dadri in Uttar Pradesh.

By the end of this year, people traveling by train in Mumbai will not face delays because of goods trains. A major part of the work on the national freight rail corridor was completed on Sunday night, as it crossed regular train routes near Panvel and Kalamboli. Once the full project is finished, freight trains will move away from the main passenger lines, making more space for local and long-distance passenger trains.

A spokesperson from Central Railway said, “Yes, we will carry out four special blocks for train and electric work between Panvel and Kalamboli to put in place a big metal bridge (Open Web Girder) at the Kalamboli Rail Flyover. This is for the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Ltd.”

Train services will be changed during these periods. The first block will happen on the night of May 11 to 12 from 1:20 am to 4:50 am. The second will be from May 13 to 14 between 1:20 am and 4:20 am. The third one will be from May 14 to 15 between 2:00 am and 4:00 am. The final block is planned from May 16 to 17, also from 2:00 am to 4:00 am.

The WDFC passes through five states—Uttar Pradesh (18 km), Haryana (177 km), Rajasthan (565 km), Gujarat (565 km), and Maharashtra (177 km). This new route will help move goods trains off the main tracks. That way, more trains for people, including local trains, can run smoothly without delays.

Most of the freight route is being built beside existing train lines. But it makes detours at places like Diva, Surat, Ankleshwar, Bharuch, Vadodara, Anand, Ahmedabad, Palanpur, Phulera, and Rewari. From Rewari to Dadri, it follows a completely different path. After Panvel, it heads toward JNPT.

CIDCO announces new timings for Navi Mumbai Metro on Belapur–Pendhar route

As per the new timings, trains on Sundays and public holidays will begin running from 6:00 am at both Belapur and Pendhar metro stations. The last metro will leave Belapur at 10:00 pm and Pendhar at 9:45 pm. This new timetable will be in place starting May 11, 2025.

On these days, metro trains will run every 15 minutes throughout the day, officials added. CIDCO said the changes are being made so that metro trains can be well maintained without affecting the daily needs of commuters. On regular working days (except Sundays and public holidays), the metro will follow its normal timetable, according to the officials.

Navi Mumbai: The City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) has shared a new schedule for Metro Line 1 that runs between Belapur and Pendhar. These changes will start from May 11, 2025. The reason for the update is to carry out important maintenance work on metro trains, officials explained.

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