The Mumbai division of Western Railways has finished 105.08 hours of the scheduled 180-hour block, which had been put in place for the ongoing construction of the sixth railway line between Goregaon and Kandivali, The Indian Express reported.
With 74 hours of work still remaining, Chief Public Relations Officer Vineet Abhisheek highlighted that the project has caused minimal disruption to commuters, as the major blocks for the work have been scheduled primarily over weekends.
Western Railway (WR) officials reported significant progress in non-interlocking work on both the up and down lines, as well as the carshed line at Kandivali. Additionally, the cut and connection work on the up and down lines at Malad station has been completed.
However, key tasks remain, including non-interlocking work at Goregaon Yard, Malad, and Kandivali, as well as cut and connection work on the up through line, the fifth and sixth lines, and point insertion work at Kandivali. The officials stated that these will be completed during the remaining block hours.
The project entails laying a 4.5-km stretch of the sixth line between Goregaon and Kandivali stations. The line will run along the eastern side between Goregaon and Malad, however, due to space constraints, it will shift to the western side from Malad to Kandivali. The existing five lines will be realigned using the “cut and connection” method to make room for the sixth line.
Once operational, the new line will ease congestion on the existing fifth line, which currently handles all Bandra Terminus-bound trains between Goregaon and Borivali. With the addition of the sixth line, separate up and down tracks will be available, greatly enhancing train punctuality for both long-distance and suburban services.
The Churchgate-Virar corridor spans roughly 60 kilometers. Currently, there are four lines between Churchgate and Mumbai Central, five between Mumbai Central and Mahim, four from Mahim to Khar, and six between Bandra Terminus and Malad. From Malad to Borivali, five lines are operational, with the sixth line under construction between Malad and Kandivali. Last November, Western Railway commissioned a 9-km section of the fifth and sixth lines between Khar and Goregaon, though a missing link between Mahim and Khar remains unresolved due to ongoing land acquisition challenges.
