Kandivali mega rail terminus plan derailed as Defence Ministry rejects land transfer

With the Defence ministry refusing to transfer the land, the Railways will now have to search for an alternative site

MUMBAI: The proposed mega long-distance rail terminus in Kandivali has hit a major roadblock after the Union ministry of defence rejected the Railways’ request for a 65-acre defence land parcel for the project. The Defence ministry has told Hindustan Times that the land is occupied by the Central Ordnance Depot (COD) and Equipment Support Depot (ESD), Kandivali, and cannot be transferred, while no alternate defence land is available in the area.

Kandivali mega rail terminus plan derailed as Defence Ministry rejects land transfer

“The land is under the active occupation of the COD and ESD, Kandivali, and cannot be transferred. It further clarified that no alternate defence land at Kandivali is available for transfer,” the Defence ministry said in its last communication to the Railway ministry.

The communication was made in mid-2025 in response to an application submitted by the Railways through the government’s NOC portal, according to the Defence ministry’s response to HT.

HT had reported on July 17 that Western Railway was seeking defence land in Kandivali for a mega rail terminus.

The proposed site, located between Kandivali and Malad stations, is spread across roughly 65 acres. It is flanked by the Kandivali railway car shed on one side and Poisar Metro station on the other, making it one of the few large contiguous plots available along the Western Railway corridor.

According to the blueprint prepared by Western Railway, the terminal was to have nine platforms, each around 625 metres long and capable of accommodating 24-coach trains.

The plan also included six pit lines for maintenance, nine stabling lines for parking rakes, two dedicated shunting necks and integrated maintenance sheds for next-generation trains, including Vande Bharat services.

Officials estimated that the facility could have served between 1 lakh and 1.5 lakh passengers daily.

The project was part of the Railways’ broader plan to expand long-distance train capacity in Mumbai, where demand for trains to Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and other northern states remains high.

Discussions on the proposal had been underway between the two ministries for several months, and the plan had also been discussed at meetings chaired by Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. Western Railway had explored shifting its existing Kandivali coaching facilities to Virar to make space for the new terminal.

With the Defence ministry refusing to transfer the land, the Railways will now have to search for an alternative site or reconsider its long-term plan to expand Mumbai’s long-distance rail network.