Mumbai: Western Railway's Virar-Dahanu Line Quadrupling Underway, Forest Clearances For The Expansion Project Expected Soon

Officials have stated that quadrupling of the Virar-Dahanu line on Western Railway (WR) is currently underway and is expected to be finished by December 2025.

This development will allow WR to enhance its services on the route and improve its speed by segregating suburban and outstation train traffic using four separate lines.

The project involves adding two rail lines to the existing two lines on the Virar-Dahanu route. The quadrupling work for the route is being executed by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) at a cost of Rs 3,578 crore.

A senior MRVC official said: “16 per cent of the work is completed. We are trying to complete the project by December 2025”, reports Free Press Journal.

Approvals Related To The Project

According to a report, the design for all significant bridges — including 16 major and 67 minor ones, has already been approved for the project.

“Total 29.14 hectare private land is required for the project. The entire compensation amount for land has been transferred to the revenue authority for disbursement and possession of land has been received,” the official said.

In addition, the project has obtained a total of 10.26 hectares of government land and 3.77 hectares of forest land.

The proposed corridor passes through various villages of Vasai, Palghar and Dahanu, while also through areas affected by the Coastal Regulation Zone of Environmental Protection Act, as per an Hindustan Times report.

However, the project still needs forest clearance for 26.51-hectare land — which includes 3.77 hectare forest land and balance railway land. The approvals for the same are expected soon.

“Since the forest includes mangroves, permission from the Bombay High Court is required. A writ petition for mangroves cutting permission has been filed in the court,” the official said.

Subhash Chand Gupta, the Chairman and Managing Director of MRVC, conducted a comprehensive site inspection of the project recently. During his visit, he held discussions with contractors and MRVC field engineers to expedite the project's completion.

Recently, the tenth anniversary of the extension of suburban train services upto Dahanu Road was celebrated on April 16 — marking a decade of service that has benefitted the people, especially for those residing in the far-flung areas of the Mumbai Metropolitan region.