A record 2.6-km tunnel on the Panvel-Karjat corridor aims to ease Central line pressure, cut commute times, and plug Navi Mumbai’s growing airport zone into the suburban network
Construction of the Wavarle tunnel on the Panvel-Karjat suburban corridor. Pics/by special arrangement
Mumbai’s suburban railway network is set to get its longest tunnel, the 2.639-km Wavarle Tunnel (Tunnel-2), being built on the Panvel-Karjat corridor under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project Phase 3.
The tunnel is a key component of the 29.6-km double-line project aimed at easing congestion on the Central Railway, cutting travel time between Mumbai and Navi Mumbai-Raigad, and improving connectivity near the upcoming Navi Mumbai International Airport.
Workers collectively spent an estimated over 24 lakh man-hours working round-the-clock for 16 months to pierce the Sahyadri hill and create Mumbai suburban railway’s longest tunnel.
Tunnel at a glance
Length 2.639 km
Height 7.323 m
Width 13.282 m
Agency: MRVC
Project length: 29.6 km double line
Why it matters
>> Reduces pressure on the Central line
>> Improves access to Navi Mumbai and Raigad
>> Supports airport and regional growth
>> Adds high-speed compatible infrastructure
Engineering highlights
Construction method: New Austrian Tunnelling Method (NATM)
Excavation start Feb 22, 2023
Breakthrough achieved June 2024
Tunnels on the corridor
Total tunnels: 3
Combined tunnel length: about 3.2 km
>> Tunnel-1 (Nadhal): about 234 m
>> Tunnel-2 (Wavarle): 2.639 km
>> Tunnel-3 (Kirawali): about 333 m
Safety and tech features
>> Emergency public refuge areas
>> SCADA-based tunnel monitoring system
>> Advanced lighting
>> Firefighting systems
>> Ventilation shafts and airflow systems
Behind the longest suburban tunnel
>> 24 lakh+ man-hours
>> 16 months, day and night shifts
>> Sahyadri hill excavated
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