The project has been formulated by the state government in assistance with the World Bank to improve the urban traffic situation in the Mumbai metropolitan region.

The chief minister, who was here to attend the conference of ministers of local self-government and urban development of states and UTs, said that the project was expected to cost about Rs 6,200 crore. This would include resettlement and rehabilitation of affected persons.

At present, the state government has to bear 50 per cent of the cost of railway projects and 100 per cent cost of the non-railway projects.Deshmukh, who also met Union railway minister Mamta Banerjee, urged Banerjee to provide adequate Budget sanction for various schemes of Maharashtra. He also offered to raise bonds to part finance the rail projects.

The chief minister emphasised on the gauge conversion project of the Latur-Miraj sector. He said that the gauge project will open the entire hinterland of Marathwada to Mumbai and Pune in the state and as well as to Hyderabad and Chennai.

He said that if the Latur-Kurduwadi section converted to broad gauge the distance between Mumbai and Hyderabad could be reduced by as much as 60 km.There were discussion on other schemes also including about starting a rail from Udgir to Mumbai via Parli-Jalna-Aurangabad-Manmad. The railway minister gave an assurance to have it examined expeditously.

The chief minister also called on Union surface transport minister Rajnath Singh. Among the issues which cropped up for discussion was the change in alignment of East West corridor. The Maharashtra government suggested that the alignment may be changed so as to pass through Mumbai, Nashik, Nagpur and Raipur.