5th, 6th lines in Borivali to Virar to commence in December

The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is slated to kick off the construction of the fifth and sixth lines between Borivali and Virar on December 1. The first task will be the removal of structures that are on the way to the corridor's proposed alignment. As of now, Western Railway's suburban network comprises four lines from Churchgate to Mumbai Central and from Borivali to Virar, a fifth line from Mumbai Central to Borivali, and a sixth line between Khar and Goregaon. The sixth line is planned to be extended till Borivali by 2025-end. The goal of the line expansion project is to effectively segregate mail-express and suburban section rail traffic between Mumbai Central and Virar -- a move that is expected to boost WR's operational efficiency. This is the first contract awarded for this project, which is being executed under Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3A, said MRVC's chairman and managing director SC Gupta. In all, 47 railway structures, including booking offices, relay rooms, toilet blocks, and offices, are slated for demolition to make way for the additional tracks. The bidding process for the construction of foot over bridges will begin on December 10. MRVC has completed the survey to fix the lines' alignment. It has also submitted a proposal for land acquisition to the collector. A proposal to cut trees coming in the way of the lines has been submitted to civic authorities.