Mumbai Metro 6: Pink Line Connecting Lokhandwala To Vikhroli Faces Fresh Setback As Pillars Demolished Following Depot Shift

Mumbai: Construction on the eastern section of Metro Line 6 (Swami Samarth Nagar Lokhandwala–Vikhroli) has come to a halt after the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) began demolishing a few already-built pillars. The move comes in the wake of a redesign of the route, necessitated by the relocation of the car depot at Kanjurmarg.

The 15.31-km-long Pink Line, estimated to cost Rs 6,700 crore, has witnessed multiple delays since work commenced in 2017. Originally, the metro car depot was planned on a plot adjoining the Eastern Express Highway at Kanjurmarg.

To facilitate entry, engineers had designed cantilever and portal piers as per the original alignment. However, with the depot now shifted to an adjacent 15-hectare plot north of the earlier site, the entry alignment has changed, making demolition and reconstruction of some pillars unavoidable.

Reports confirmed that demolition work began last week but did not specify the number of pillars affected. “Some piers have been redesigned, while the existing foundations are being reused wherever possible to meet the new structural requirements,” said an MMRDA official, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

The change comes after the state government initiated the transfer of land for the new depot site in 2023. While this clears one hurdle, the project continues to suffer from compounded delays. The Covid-19 pandemic, ongoing litigation over the depot site in the Bombay High Court, and engineering as well as contractual disputes have collectively pushed the deadline far beyond its initial 2021 target.

Adding to complications, in October 2023, MMRDA cancelled tenders for rolling stock and fire safety equipment, citing non-compliance with Central Vigilance Commission norms. These were later reissued, and in July this year construction giant NCC Ltd secured a Rs 2,269-crore contract to deliver rolling stock, communication-based signalling systems, telecom infrastructure, train control, depot machinery and platform screen doors.

NCC later subcontracted the Rs 1,598.55-crore rolling stock component to Titagarh Rail Systems Limited, a domestic rail manufacturer. While this development has been seen as a positive step towards indigenisation of metro infrastructure, the redesign of civil structures has once again slowed ground progress.

With seven years already elapsed and critical elements like the depot still under redesign, the Metro 6 corridor remains far from completion. Commuters in Mumbai’s eastern suburbs, who were hoping for an early relief from traffic congestion, may have to wait several more years before trains on the Pink Line begin operations.

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