An official said that projects worth Rs 33690 crore were approved with the goal of creating additional infrastructure for Mumbai's suburban railway network which is often referred to as the lifeline of the country's financial capital and its surrounding metropolitan region.

The projects were approved in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Mumbai Railway Development Corporation officials he said.

The projects include the construction of Western Railway's 5th and 6th lines between Borivali and Virar. Similarly, the third and fourth lines on Central Railway between Kalyan and Badlapur (15 km) were approved according to a CMO statement.

Another major decision is extending the current Harbour line from Goregaon to Borivali which is a seven km distance. All these works will help the railways run more suburban as well as long-distance trains the official said.