Borivali-Virar 5th and 6th Rail Line Project Crosses 30% Completion
The capacity expansion project to construct the fifth and sixth railway lines on the 26-kilometre Borivali–Virar suburban corridor has reached roughly 30 percent physical completion, officials confirmed.
Implemented by the Mumbai Railroad Vikas Corporation under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project-IIIA, the project has been sanctioned at an estimated cost of Rs 2,184 crore. The expansion across the Western Railroad network is scheduled to be completed in 2029 and is aimed at relieving commuter pressure on one of the region's most congested transit routes.
The Borivali–Virar stretch currently handles large volumes of daily suburban passengers alongside long-distance and other train services. The addition of two new tracks is designed to separate suburban commuter trains from other rail operations, increasing network capacity and improving overall service reliability.
Several preliminary civil works and regulatory steps have advanced. Project officials stated that 11.929 hectares of salt-pan land at Umelman in Vasai have been handed over for the project, while remaining land acquisition procedures continue. Forest and mangrove clearances for the corridor have also been secured.
To accommodate the new tracks, existing railroad structures have been relocated or are at an advanced stage of relocation across Dahisar, Mira Road, Bhayander, Naigaon, Nallasopara, and Vasai Road. The project scope also includes plans for new platforms and foot overbridges at Dahisar, Naigaon, and Nallasopara.
Major structural works are underway, involving three major bridges, three minor bridges, and a road overbridge, alongside extensive earthwork. Foundation and fabrication activities are progressing on Bridge 73 and Bridge 75. Earthwork measuring approximately 1.30 lakh cubic meters has been finished in the Bridge No. 75–Naigaon and Panju Island sections, with another work package logging around 70,000 cubic meters.
Because the construction passes through heavily populated areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and runs parallel to an active railway corridor, work continues to be carried out alongside ongoing train operations.
