08 August,2026 12:56 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
Representation pic/iStock
A crucial railway project that promises to provide direct train connectivity from Mumbai's Western Railway network to the Konkan Railway and southern India has been delayed and derailed once again - this time after Central Railway failed to present its case at a key forest clearance meeting and did not submit complete documents.
Minutes of a July 30 meeting of the Project Screening Committee (PSC) under the Union Environment Ministry's PARIVESH portal, accessed by mid-day, reveal that the proposal was deferred because the "user agency" (Central Railway) was absent and the proposal was incomplete.
The Naigaon-Juchandra chord line, a 5.73-km double-line flyover, is considered one of Mumbai's most important missing rail links. Once completed, it will allow direct trains from Mumbai Central, Dadar, and Bandra Terminus to the Konkan Railway and southern India without reversing direction at Vasai.
[popcorn number="July 30" desc="Day crucial meeting was held" class="Default"]
Responding to mid-day, a Central Railway spokesperson said:
"The Juchandra Yard Remodelling Project is of utmost importance to Central Railway. On the day of the Project Screening Committee meeting, the user agency concerned was engaged in urgent field matters. Consultants associated with the proposal were advised to attend on behalf of the user agency. The observations recorded during scrutiny have been taken up on priority and the requisite compliances will be submitted shortly."
According to the PSC meeting minutes:
. Central Railway officials did not attend the July 30 meeting.
. The proposal submitted for forest clearance was incomplete.
. The committee therefore deferred consideration of the project.
What the minutes say
"The user agency (Central Railway) was not present during the PSC meeting, and hence, the matter could not be discussed and deferred."
"As the complete proposal has not yet been received, it cannot be accepted at this stage... the proposal will be deferred."
What is the Naigaon-Juchandra chord line?
The project proposes a 5.73-km double-line rail flyover connecting:
Naigaon (Western Railway) - Juchandra (Vasai-Diva line)
The link will eliminate the need for trains to reverse direction at Vasai before proceeding towards the Konkan Railway and southern India.
Current situation
Long-distance trains from Mumbai Central, Dadar and Bandra Terminus heading south must:
. Enter Vasai
. Reverse direction
. Continue towards the Konkan Railway
This adds:
. Extra travel time
. Operational delays
. Capacity constraints
. Direct trains from Western Railway to the Konkan Railway
. No engine reversal at Vasai
. Faster journeys
. Better operational efficiency
. Improved capacity for long-distance services
. Benefits for over 35 lakh Western Railway commuters by easing network operations
2018: Project sanctioned in the Railway Budget.
Subsequently: Rs 50 lakh allocated for surveys and preliminary work.
2018-2026: Land identification and alignment studies carried out.
July 30, 2026: Forest clearance proposal deferred by the Project Screening Committee.
The proposed alignment passes through four villages between Vasai and Naigaon. The proposal requires diversion of 11.6 hectares of forest land.
PARIVESH (Pro-Active Responsive Facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single-window Hub) is the Union Environment Ministry's online portal for processing environmental and forest clearances. The Project Screening Committee (PSC) scrutinises proposals involving diversion of more than five hectares of forest land before they move ahead in the approval process.
