Mumbai Likely To Get Underground Rail Lines From Parel To CSMT – DETAILS

Mumbai could soon witness its first underground railway line as part of Central Railway's (CR) ambitious plan to expand and modernise the city’s suburban network. Between Parel/Currey Road and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CMST) in South Mumbai, the Central Railway (CR) intends to construct its fifth and sixth lines via an underground tunnel, according to Hindustan Times report.

The first phase of the project, which extends from Kurla to Parel over 10.1 km, is currently in progress. However, phase 2 involves a larger project to build the fifth and sixth railway lines, Kurla-Parel-CSMT stretch. Phase 2 is a 7.4-km line from Parel to CSMT. This development aims to ease congestion on Mumbai’s overcrowded suburban corridors.

By adopting underground technology, CR hopes to take urban railway infrastructure in new era, potentially mirroring the advances made by the metro system. The proposal underscores the need for innovative solutions in rapidly expanding urban centres like Mumbai.

"We will have to assess the availability of land for tunnel boring machines to enter/exit at CSMT and Parel, which will be identified during the study. Once underground, we can have alternative alignments to end the tunnel at the CSMT end," a senior railway official told to Hindustan Times.

Officials from the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) and Central Railway have initiated preliminary discussions, but the final decision will depend on the findings of technical and financial feasibility studies.

If approved, the underground rail line would cost approximately Rs 3,000 crore. The exact implementing agency has not been finalised, pending the results of the detailed assessments. Despite the challenges ahead, officials believe this step is crucial to meet Mumbai’s growing transport demands and to decongest its overburdened rail network.

Update Of Fifth & Sixth Railway Line

Earlier in April, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India criticised Indian Railways for the extensive delay in completing the Central Railway's 5th and 6th line project between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Kurla.

The project, which began in 2008, remains incomplete even after 17 years. It has since been divided into two phases: Phase 1, from Kurla to Parel, where construction is currently underway, and Phase 2, from Parel to CSMT.