Western Railway (WR) is set to stretch its sixth line all the way to Kandivli by June 2024, bringing the promise of more local train services.
Originally planned to reach Borivali by June, this project faced obstacles in acquiring land.
A railway official mentioned, “As per our schedule, the 4.5km Goregaon-Kandivli stretch will be operational by June. If we sort out land issues on time, we aim to extend it to Borivali by November 2024.” The inauguration of a 9km-long segment between Khar and Goregaon happened in November 2023, as reported by TOI.
An official shared, “We’ve completed a major bridge and eight out of 12 minor bridges. The remaining four should be done in the coming weeks.”
Progress stands at 70 percent for signalling and telecommunications work and 40 percent for overhead electricals.
This sixth line, part of the Mumbai Urban Transportation Project (MUTP) II B, intends to separate mail/express and suburban trains. Costing about Rs 918 crore, its completion between Khar and Borivali is anticipated to boost suburban train capacity by 20 percent on the Western Railway.
While the fifth line was opened between Borivali and Santacruz in 2002 and Mumbai Central and Mahim in 1993, the Mahim to Santacruz stretch remained unfinished due to land scarcity.
Called the Suburban Train Avoidance (STA) line, the fifth line facilitates two-way travel for long-distance trains from Mumbai Central and Bandra Terminus. The sixth line project, part of MUTP-II, has faced significant delays.
Initially priced at Rs 5,300 crore, costs have now reached Rs 8,087 crore. MUTP-II encompasses various initiatives, including extending the Harbour Line to Goregaon, adding a sixth line from Borivali to Mumbai Central, Parel Terminus, and constructing the fifth and sixth lines between Parel and Kurla and Bandra.
