In phase I, a 9km stretch between Khar and Goregaon will become operational in a few months and in phase II, a 11km line will be added till Borivli by 2025. There is still no clarity on the status of the other 10.8km line between Khar and Mumbai Central.
Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) handed over tenements to three project-affected peoples (PAPs) from Vile Parle on Friday. The PAPS have been given alternative accommodation under the R&R policy at Malad. WR has also paid a total of nearly Rs 2.3 crore to four PAPs for a stretch of land measuring 9.5 sq m, abutting the building at Vile Parle.
This was a major hurdle for the crucial capacity augmentation project. WR’s chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said, “These structures were located in close proximity of the newly laid tracks and were infringing in the Schedule of Dimension (SOD) of the train.” The SOD indicates an obstruction-free zone within which railway coach, wagon, or engines move during travel.
The 30km sixth line is being constructed between Borivli and Mumbai Central to ensure segregation of mail/express and suburban trains. The work is a part of Mumbai Urban Transportation Project 2B and is estimated to cost Rs 918 crore. The completion of the 6th line between Khar and Borivli will help increase train carrying capacity of suburban locals by 20 percent on WR.
WR had commissioned the fifth line between Boriali and Santacruz in 2002 and Mumbai Central and Mahim in 1993. But it was not able to lay the fifth line between Mahim and Santacruz due to the paucity of land.
This fifth line called the Suburban Train Avoidance (STA) line is a bi-directional line with long-distance trains leaving Mumbai Central and Bandra Terminus using it to leave as well as come into the city.
The sixth line project, which is being executed under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (II) is amongst the most delayed railway projects in the city. While the original cost was Rs 5,300 crore, it has now risen to Rs 8,087 crore. MUTP II includes works such as the Harbour Line extension up to Goregaon, the sixth line from Borivli to Mumbai Central, the Parel Terminus, and the fifth and sixth lines between Parel and Kurla and Bandra-Mumbai.
