With the 5th and 6th lines at Borivali complete, focus shifts on next piece of the puzzle; project aims to segregate long-distance trains from suburban local trains
Railway officials and contract labourers work along the stretch
With the Borivali 5th and 6th lines complete, the railways have now focused on completing the next piece of the jigsaw puzzle that is the railway expansion project from Borivali to Virar. In this 26-km section, a number of existing stations like Dahisar, Bhayandar, Naigaon and Virar will move the locations of their slow line platforms to accommodate the new lines. While Dahisar platforms will move north, Bhayander will move westward and Virar a bit to the south.
The project aims to segregate long-distance trains from suburban local trains, thereby improving the frequency and efficiency of daily commutes for Mumbai residents by creating dedicated corridors for both suburban locals and express trains. The estimated cost for the project is Rs 2184 crore with a targeted completion of 2028. The project is being executed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) under the MUTP-3A.
The two new lines will be constructed on the western side of the existing main lines for the entire stretch from Borivali to Virar. The construction includes three major bridges, 16 minor bridges, one road underpass, and two important bridges, particularly Bridge No. 73 and 75 over the Vasai Creek (Bhayandar Khadi). Work on the foundations for Bridge No. 73 has begun, and an old historic bridge near Bhayandar is being dismantled.
The two new lines will be constructed on the western side of the existing main lines for the entire stretch from Borivli to Virar. PICS/SATEJ SHINDE
Major remodelling will occur at Bhayandar and Vasai stations, including new platforms and repurposing existing ones. Other stations like Dahisar, Mira Road, Naigaon, and Nalasopara will also see improvements and new platform constructions.
Sections like Dahisar to Mira Road have seen significant progress in forest land clearing and earthwork due to early clearances. Sections like Borivali to Dahisar, Mira Road to Bhayandar, and Nalasopara to Virar have existing railway land or stable lines that will be repurposed, reducing the need for new land acquisition and extensive earthwork. New stabling lines will be built between Naigaon and Vasai to compensate for repurposed lines in other sections.
Location-wise work
Panju Island: Special arrangements, including a dedicated ferry, are being made to transport construction machinery and materials to Panju Island due to a lack of direct road access.
Borivali station: No major remodelling. The project starts from Platform No. 3 and 5 at Borivali, and the two new lines stay in the west of the existing corridor. Not much land acquisition between Borivali and Dahisar since most of it is railway land with traction sub-stations, quarters, and stabling (train parking) lines. The new lines will pass under the Sudhir Phadke flyover just ahead of Borivali station towards Dahisar.
Dahisar station: The two new lines will pass in the west near the existing Platform No. 1. The two new slow line platforms will be moved a bit north due to lack of space at the existing station and merged. Ahead of Dahisar, from the Metro 2A bridge till Mira Road station, works are at an advanced stage as the forest land required for the purpose has already been acquired, and work started on the ground. This stretch between Dahisar and Mira Road will also have three stabling lines that are being shifted from Borivali.
Mira Road: New platforms to come up west of the existing Platform No. 1.
Bhayandar: The platform used for terminating and originating trains at Bhayandar will move to the west. The existing Platform No. 1 will remain as it is, and Platform No. 2, currently used for terminating trains, will be the new Churchgate-bound slow platform. Platform No. 3 which is the terminal platform will be the next Virar fast platform. The Churchgate slow Platform No. 4 will be the Churchgate fast platform in the future.
Naigaon: New platforms to come up in the west. There will be 20 stabling lines also coming up between Naigaon and Vasai.
Vasai: Major remodelling to take place. The existing Platform No. 1 will be shifted westwards by about 8 metres after shifting existing structures. Its purpose as a terminal platform will remain the same. The space of the old platforms will be used to lay two new lines and the platforms will be made at the north-end of the west side of existing Platform No. 2, to be used by the slow corridor. The existing Platform No. 2-3 will be used for fast line corridor.
Nallasopara: New home platform to the west of existing Platform No. 1. The existing Platform No. 1 will become an island platform.
Virar: Two new platforms will come up at the south-end of the station, further expanding the station
Status of the project
The ambitious Borivali–Virar 5th and 6th line project has achieved 18 per cent physical progress, even as it clears one bottleneck after another in its path. The hurdles are so prominent that they included even a stay on the construction of one of the bridges, which the MRVC had to get vacated. The project faces a host of hurdles. Of the 1.81 hectares of private land required, MRVC has acquired 1.40 hectares; the rest is entangled in legal procedures. Another major obstacle is the acquisition of 13.62 hectares of saltpan land, a process complicated by ownership disputes and environmental sensitivities. Relocation of railway buildings and quarters at Dahisar, Mira Road, Bhayandar, Naigaon, and Vasai Road is still in progress.
Environmentally, while both Stage-I and Stage-II forest clearances have been granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), work in mangrove areas has been permitted only under strict compensatory plantation and monitoring conditions as directed by the Bombay High Court and the Mangrove Cell.
“We have cleared major hurdles, but the challenge now is on-ground execution. The next 12 months are critical,” said an MRVC official.
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