ALTERNATE PLAN FOR RING RAILWAY IN THANE, THANE, MAHARASHTRA, INDIA |
PLANNING FOR THANE CITY AND ITS RING RAILWAY
- OBJECTIVE:
This is a proposal to the Thane Municipal Corporation’s proposed Ring Railway project. Kindly refer attached drawing.
CITY STRUCTURE AND GROWTH PATTERN
- Thane City is curvilinear in shape along north-south direction between the hills on its west and creek area on its east side.
- It is bound in south by the Mumbai municipal limits, in west by the forest and hills of Sanjay Gandhi National Park and in the east and north by the Thane creek.
- Over the years the growth of the City has been in the north direction with the Thane railway station at its southern end.
- Even today after the implementation of various road widening schemes, the city has been growing towards the north – so vivid by the development of various residential complexes along the Ghodbunder road.
North south traffic pattern:
- Thane City is critical part of the suburban railway network in the MMR region and its railway station at southern end is the pivot for traversing of railway, vehicular and pedestrian traffic.
- The traffic pattern is in north south direction in response to the shape of the city.
- The city also has local bus network which mainly travels to & fro from station to various parts of the city.
- Every day huge number of people arrive and leave from Thane station.
- The Suburban railway station area also has Inter-city Buses Stand, Local city buses station & Riksha stand.
- All the traffic arrives and leaves to the station using 6 different types of transport viz.:
- Local city buses (TMT)
- Inter-city buses (ST)
- Three wheelers (Riksha)
- Private vehicles (Cars and jeeps)
- Two wheelers
- Pedestrian
- This causes immense congestion and virtually no space for pedestrians in the station area.
- Narrow roads and hawkers compound the problem.
- The congestion causes environmental problems due to heavy noise and air pollution in the station zone in the diameter of about 1km.
- Providing the growing transportation requirements of the city.
- Reduce congestion, traffic and pollution in the railway station area.
- Reduce the cost of proposed ring railway system by optimizing its route in response to the physical shape and character of the city.
- Uniformly balance the pressure of growth and development on city’s transportation system.
- The ring railway line (green corridor) is proposed to pass through Thane railway station and have a station. This would add one more mode of mass transport arriving at station leading to further traffic & congestion.
- The length of green corridor (Phase I) is 16.05km with 11 stations and its estimated cost is Rs 8515 million (2001 prices).
- The length of red corridor (Phase II) is 7.212km with 6 stations.
- The green corridor consists of mainly two almost identical strips - both in north-south direction – one along eastern express highway and other along the creek.
- As 6 types of transportation already traverse through the station causing heavy congestion- one more mode as ring railway should not be added to come to the Thane railway station.
- The alternative proposed is that the ring railway in first phase should run only along the central spine of the city i.e. eastern expressway between the western area near Thane suburban railway station and Kolshet.
- The ring railway line in future can continue northwards beyond Kolshet along Ghodbunder road joining further to the western line.
- The ring railway line should continue along eastern express highway from proposed Naupada station and terminate as station at the western end of the Thane railway station.
- Provide new ring railway station at the bridge junction of the corner of the railway line and eastern expressway (presently the way to the Kopri). Passengers can alight at this station and walk down to the existing suburban railway station.
- The ring railway along the Thane creek should be avoided or deleted i.e. line between proposed Balkum station to Thane station.
- And connect the ring railway line from proposed Balkum station to the Golden Dyes station.
- Between the creek area and existing railway station there seems no need of ring route since road network should suffice.
- Also particularly since the Thane-Turbhe line is already planned, most of the traffic from New Bombay would use it for travelling to Thane.
- These steps would effectively reduce almost half the length of the proposed ring railway line and 3 stations leading to huge saving in costs and time. They should be taken as phase I of the entire project.
- The suggested new route is responsive to the physical shape of the city and its growth pattern - which would augment its future growth in the north direction.
- The creation of Ring railway station away from the existing suburban railway station would reduce congestion in the railway station area.
- The new ring railway station suggested near the eastern Expressway Bridge would form a new growth centre and act as a counter point to the existing suburban railway station by reducing its pressure.
- It would avoid the overhead ring route above the entire Gokhale road and several problems associated like pedestrian movement, congestion at lower level etc.
- This would lead to reduction in existing incoming traffic and avoid further load reducing environmental air and noise pollution in the station area.
This alternative proposal, in brief has following advantages for the Thane City:
- Reduction in almost half the length of ring railway line.
- Eliminate 3 ring railway stations.
- Thus substantial saving in costs and time of the project.
- Reduce congestion and incoming traffic in the railway station area:
- Reduce environmental air and noise pollution in the railway station area.
- New Ring railway route is responsive to the city’s northward growth pattern.
- The new proposed ring railway station will act as a new growth centre.
- It will avoid the overhead route through the centre of Gokhale road.