By June 2024, Western Railway intends to expand its sixth line to Kandivli
MUMBAI: By June 2024, Western Railway (WR) intends to complete the extension of its sixth line to Kandivli, perhaps bringing in more local train services. Land acquisition challenges arose for the sixth line project, which was originally scheduled to be extended until Borivali by June.
A senior railway official stated: “The 4.5km Goregaon-Kandivli link is scheduled to open in June, as per the established timeframe.
By November 2024, if land acquisition concerns are promptly handled, this route will be expanded to Borivali.” In November 2023, a 9 km sixth line stretch between Khar and Goregaon was launched.
An official gave an update on the project’s status, saying, “Eight of the twelve small bridges and one major bridge have been built. In the next few weeks, the last four bridges should be completed.
With 40% of the overhead electrical work and 70% of the signaling and telecommunications work completed, significant progress has been achieved.
The Mumbai Urban Transportation Project (MUTP) II B includes a 30-kilometer sixth line that is intended to keep suburban and mail/express trains apart. Its completion between Khar and Borivali, at an estimated cost of Rs 918 crore, is anticipated to boost the Western Railway’s ability to handle suburban trains by 20%.
The fifth line was put into service in 2002 between Borivali and Santacruz, and in 1993 between Mumbai Central and Mahim. However, because of a lack of available land, the section between Mahim and Santacruz remained unfinished.
The fifth line, which is also called the Suburban Train Avoidance (STA) line, makes it easier for long-distance trains to go in both directions when they leave from Mumbai Central and Bandra Terminus. MUTP-II’s sixth line project is one of the city’s most delayed railway initiatives. The original budget of Rs 5,300 crore has been exceeded by Rs 8,087 crore. Initiatives included in MUTP-II include the Harbour Line extension to Goregaon, the fifth and sixth lines between Parel and Kurla and Bandra, and the sixth line from Borivali to Mumbai Central.
