Major boost for Mumbai suburban network as Kalyan-Badlapur line nears key milestones

Spots on the Badlapur-Kalyan alignment. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

With the Union Cabinet sanctioning the new Badlapur-Karjat line (the construction of the 3rd and 4th railway lines) a day earlier, mid-day on Wednesday did a ground reality of the ongoing work of the Kalyan-Badlapur corridor. The project, an important capacity enhancement work under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3A, aimed at easing congestion and improving operational fluidity on the Central Railway suburban network, is being undertaken by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC).

The project, with a sanctioned cost of Rs 1510 crore, has recorded 30 per cent physical progress as of October 2025. Among the design and approvals, a drone survey has been completed, and alignment has been finalised with all project sheets approved. General arrangement drawings (GADs) for all five stations - Vitthalwadi, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath, Chikhloli, and Badlapur - have been approved, and designs of all road overbridges (ROBs) and the required technical approval drawings have also been cleared. The GADs for 51 bridges have also been sanctioned with approval for commencement of work.

As far as the land acquisition is concerned, all government and private land has been acquired. The stage II forest clearance for the project was received in May 2025, enabling full execution along affected stretches. Among the major civil works are the ROBs, of which two have been completed and opened to road traffic, and works on two others are at an advanced stage, including the pipeline bridges.

At the stations along the stretch, the first-floor slab of the new station building at Chikhloli has been completed and internal plastering finished, with external plastering underway. The FOB works are also progressing well, with nine out of ten foundations completed and 15 of 18 columns cast. For the FOBs at Ulhasnagar, all 29 girders have been launched, and deck slabs have been completed, while the construction of the staircase is ongoing.

Of the bridges along the new lines, 21 of them have been completed, with foundations for two others progressing. For platform and building works, extensions have been completed at Vitthalwadi, Ulhasnagar, and Ambernath, while the works on Route Relay Interlocking (RRI-signalling) buildings at Ulhasnagar and Ambernath are in an advanced stage, and casting work for Ground +6 floor staff quarters is also in progress.

"This project forms a crucial part of MRVC's network strengthening plan under MUTP 3A and will significantly enhance suburban and interchange capacity between Kalyan and Badlapur upon completion," said Sunil Udasi, MRVC chief spokesperson.

He added, "The project will seamlessly extend the ongoing Kalyan-Badlapur quadrupling and will create a continuous four-line corridor from Kalyan to Karjat, one of the busiest stretches of the Mumbai suburban network. With steady progress on the Kalyan-Badlapur stretch [30 per cent of work already completed by MRVC till October 2025] and the Cabinet's approval of the Badlapur-Karjat quadrupling extension, the Central Railway suburban system is poised for a major capacity transformation."

Strategic benefits

>> Clear segregation of suburban and long-distance operations, improving overall network efficiency
>> Higher punctuality and reliability of Mumbai suburban services
>> Availability of additional suburban paths, enabling future service augmentation
>> Enhanced capacity for mail, express and freight trains on the broader Central Railway and Pune-South India routes
>> Greater operational flexibility and improved ability to respond to maintenance needs
>> Improved readiness to serve the rapidly growing population in the Kalyan-Karjat region