Virar-Dahanu rail quadrupling project almost half completed; work on key bridges speeds up

Announcing the update, Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) on Tuesday said all major statutory approvals, including land acquisition, environmental clearances, and forest clearances, have been obtained.

The project has a sanctioned cost of Rs 3,578 crore. Physical progress has reached 47 per cent.

“Entire private land, government land, and forest land required for the project have been acquired, and work has commenced in all sections, including forest and mangrove areas. Major construction activities such as earthwork, bridge construction, station redevelopment, and utility buildings are in full progress. Over 88 per cent of earthwork has been completed, and more than 50 bridges and road underbridges have already been constructed. Important Bridges No. 92 and 93, which are critical structures on this corridor, are advancing steadily with piling, substructure, and superstructure works underway,” MRVC chief PRO Sunil Udasi told mid-day.

Station redevelopment progress

“Station redevelopment works are progressing across key stations including Virar, Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar, Vangaon, and Dahanu Road. New station buildings, platforms, foot overbridges, staff quarters, signalling buildings, and passenger amenities are at various stages of completion, with several facilities already handed over for operational use,” he added.

At Virar station, major remodelling works are in progress, including widening of Platform 3A, construction of elevated decks, and reconfiguration of platforms to support future Churchgate-Dahanu suburban services.

Overall, the project is progressing in a planned manner with coordinated execution across civil, electrical, signalling, and track works, while ensuring safety and minimal disruption to existing train operations.

Two key bridges near Vaitarna

Construction of two crucial railway bridges on the Virar-Dahanu Road quadrupling project is progressing steadily near Vaitarna on the Western Railway corridor, officials said.

The project, being executed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), is aimed at enhancing suburban train capacity and improving service reliability on the northern stretch of WR Mumbai.

Two key bridges — Bridge No. 92 and Bridge No. 93 — form critical links in the corridor and will carry additional suburban tracks once completed.

At Bridge No. 92, most of the foundation and pillar work has been completed, with girder and deck slab casting and launching currently underway in stages. “Protection works, including toe wall piling, are also progressing, indicating that the bridge is nearing completion of its main structural components.

Work on Bridge No. 93 is also advancing, with piling activity in progress at multiple locations.

More than three-quarters of the total piling work has already been completed, while pier, pier cap and girder construction is being carried out in a phased manner,” Udasi said.

Earthwork and stability measures

“Earthwork and embankment preparation at the bridge approaches are continuing alongside the structural works. Due to challenging soil conditions and proximity to water bodies, it requires special construction methods at the site. So far, over 5.6 lakh cubic metres of earthwork has been completed, along with ground-strengthening measures to ensure long-term track stability. Work is progressing in both island and non-island areas despite difficult terrain,” he said.

Once commissioned, the additional lines enabled by these bridges are expected to allow more suburban services between Virar and Dahanu Road, easing congestion and improving passenger comfort. Authorities said construction is being carried out in coordination with multiple agencies, while ensuring safety and minimal disruption to existing train operations.

Project outlook

“The Virar-Dahanu Road quadrupling project is progressing steadily, with nearly half of the physical work already completed. This project will significantly enhance suburban rail capacity beyond Virar. MRVC is executing the works with a strong focus on safety, quality, and minimal disruption to ongoing train operations,” Udasi added.