India, Oct. 7 -- The Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA) is driving the expansion of the suburban section of the Central Railway at the farthest end of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR). Among the key projects underway or under consideration are a fast line on the CSMT-Panvel corridor; upgradation of the Panvel and Targhar stations; and construction of a new Panvel-Karjat suburban rail corridor. NMIA is expected to be inaugurated on October 8.

CSMT-Panvel fast line

Back in 2009-10, the Union railway budget (the Indian Railways then had a separate budget from the General Budget), had proposed a fast line from CSMT to Panvel, on the Harbour Line, with revised plans submitted in 2016. But with the focus shifting to building and exp...