Mumbai | Kurla-CSMT railway lines: Ten years, yet no work done

The project has been divided into two phases, from Kurla station to Parel station and from the latter to CSMT station. CR decided to complete the Phase I work first. At present, there are fifth and sixth lines between Kurla and Kalyan. These end near Vidyavihar and need to be extended to Parel and later CSMT. The CAG has reprimanded Railways, saying that construction contracts were awarded without approved designs and drawings, clear sites, etc, which led to delays in the completion of the work.

Cost and status

The estimated cost for the fifth and sixth railway lines between CSMT and Kurla is Rs 891 crore. This project is part of the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-II and is being funded on a 50:50 basis by the ministry of railways and the state government.

A foot overbridge on Sion railway station’s new alignment. The station is being shifted a bit westward to accommodate new rail lines. PICS/Rajendra B Aklekar

Despite expenditure of Rs 500.93 crore (56.22 per cent) by January 2024 made against the sanctioned estimate of Rs 890.89 crore (September 2014), only 26 per cent of the work was physically completed (January 2024), indicating that the target date of completion of the project would be further extended, according to the CAG report.

What is holding it up

Kurla: The first station after Vidyavihar. There is railway land available between Vidyavihar and Kurla, and no issues here. The problem at Kurla is that to maintain a straight alignment of the new corridor, it is necessary to take over the existing Harbour line tracks and remove the Harbour line platforms. These platforms will be elevated and will have a layout similar to that of Parel station, which has a terminating platform. The elevated railway with the new Kurla station rises and falls between Tilak Nagar and Chunabhatti stations on the Harbour line. But since the entire project has been stuck and delayed due to land acquisition issues, the work at Kurla has been stranded. Also, because of the delay in this, the existing Kurla station has become a sad story of incomplete foot overbridges and limited access to the east.

The new Sion station building, which is nearing completion

Sion: For laying the new fifth and sixth lines, the existing Sion railway station of Central Railway (CR), one of the key stations on the country’s oldest lines, is being shifted a bit westward to accommodate new rail lines and new platforms. While a new rail platform will come just abutting the arterial LBS Road, the existing platform on which the old heritage hut stands will be converted into an island platform with trains operating on either side. Work on the Sion bridge is now underway, and a new station building is almost ready. The new foot overbridges have been built taking into consideration the new alignment. 

Dharavi: Between Sion and Matunga in the Dharavi area, the process of land acquisition started in 2018, but rehabilitation of project-affected people (PAPs) is pending on behalf of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA).

Matunga: At Matunga, a proposal was submitted in 2018, and a payment was made by CR, but action on the rehabilitation of PAPs is pending on behalf of the MMRDA.

Dadar: In addition to 17,682 sq m of land (government and private) required for the project, 8554.72 sq m of land at Dadar was to be transferred from Western Railway (WR) to CR, which is still pending.

Overall status

Work on Phase I, which has a route length target of 10.10 km, remains delayed as land acquisition is yet to be completed. Of 10,060.99 sq m, so far 26,656 sq m has been achieved. Out of the 758 PAPs identified, 41 were rehabilitated in 2017.

The suburban terminus at Parel was completed in March 2019; three of 67 service buildings were relocated with the shifting of four (Dadar, Matunga, Sion, Kurla) in progress. Work on a road overbridge (ROB) at Sion is progressing, with a contract awarded. A Dharavi ROB tender remains unprocessed due to various issues. 

Two flyovers (at Kurla and King Circle) are under construction, and five of 19 FOBs have been constructed, with 14 delayed due to site issues. Phase II saw a land acquisition proposal submitted in October 2023 with no physical progress reported, and further details are awaited from CR.

‘Authorities must act’

Subhash Gupta, president, Yatri Sangh Mumbai, said, “The 5th and 6th line project is a lifeline project for CR commuters, yet it has been left half-done for over ten years. It will be a boon once it comes up. Every day, lakhs of passengers suffer due to congestion and delays. The authorities must break this deadlock before the situation becomes unmanageable. The Railways need to act tough with the project-affected people.”

Priya Menon, an IT professional and Thane resident, said, “It’s exhausting to fight for space in overcrowded trains daily. This additional corridor could have reduced travel time and improved safety, but nothing seems to move forward year after year. The two new lines will boost local train traffic.”

Amit Borkar, a teacher and Dadar resident, said, “We keep hearing promises during Railway Budget announcements, but on the ground, little progress is made. The gap between Kurla and CSMT is the biggest bottleneck on the central line. Every fast train is held up at Dadar for the crossover of a mail/express train. This is unacceptable as lakhs of commuters are standing inside those trains just waiting. The two new lines will end this.”

Rajesh Sawant, a shop owner and Kalyan resident, said, “Due to delays in this project, even a small disruption causes massive chaos. It’s high time the government cleared all hurdles and fast-tracked the work. But it needs to be handled humanely. Project-affected people need to be given proper alternatives. All of this is taking too long, though.”

Neha Kulkarni, a college student and Mulund resident, said, Mumbaikars deserved better. “We are the future commuters of Mumbai, but looking at how slow these projects are, it feels like nothing will change even in the next decade. The Metro network is slowly coming up, but the hurdles these age-old projects face seem to be never-ending.”

Official speaks

A CR spokesperson said that land acquisition issues have been expedited, and all efforts were on to complete the work at the earliest. “Practically no work can begin on the ground till rehabilitation issues are addressed. The Sion bridge work is the most crucial component of constructing the fifth and sixth lines, which is ongoing, along with the Kurla elevated station and lines project. Work is happening in parts, and we are in continuous touch with local officials to get the land processed at the earliest,” an official said.

Details of 5th, 6th lines project’s 1st phase

>> Acquisition of 26,956 sq m of land owned by the National Textile Corporation and Railways, among other entities, was completed on January 18, 2018. Payment of Rs 129.30 crore was approved, with land possession received by December 2020.

>> Acquisition of 723 sq m of land in Greater Mumbai, Dharavi, and other spots was started with a proposal submitted in 2018. Possession and payment of R6.35 crore are pending approval. Rehabilitation is project-affected people is also pending.

>> Acquisition of 260.34 sq m of land (owned by Shalimar Factory, Kings Circle, etc) began on January 19, 2018, with payment of R1.96 crore made. Possession was completed by July 2022, and rehabilitation is in progress.

>> Acquisition of 210.25 sq m of land owned by Tata Power and private owners was started on January 18, 2018. A public notice was issued, with possession due post-rehabilitation by the MMRDA.

>> Acquisition of unspecified land by Tata Power is ongoing, with unresolved issues noted.

>> Acquisition of 4,390.65 sq m of land occupied by Swadeshi Mill and plots in Kurla-Sion is in progress. A proposal was submitted on February 9, 2019, with a court case ongoing. Possession is expected post-resolution, with a survey planned. Opposition from local project-affected people is holding up work.

>> MMRDA is pursuing these acquisitions, with some land possession pending rehabilitation efforts.

Rs 890.89 crore
Amount sanctioned for the project in 2014