Land acquisition begins for 5th and 6th railway lines on Borivali-Palghar corridor

Western Railway and Palghar collectorate are acquiring properties for the fifth and sixth lines from Borivali to Virar, easing suburban train congestion.

MUMBAI: Western Railway and the Palghar collectorate have started the process of taking over properties for the fifth and sixth lines from Borivali to Virar. The lines are expected to relieve stress on the fast corridor, which will be left exclusively for suburban trains.

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A hundred and twenty-two properties will have to be acquired in Vasai tehsil, for which the process has already begun, said Palghar district collector Govind Bodke. “At Vasai station, there are plans to construct larger platforms,” he said. “The railways want some housing society spaces, commercial spaces and salt pan land. Some of the land is owned by them.”

On August 7, the railways published an advertisement for acquiring properties in Divanman, Achole, Navghar, Manikpur and Umela. Some of these plots have housing societies on them while some are agricultural land.

The project is on the Western Railway corridor and the sanctioned cost is ₹2,184.02 crore. The estimate, designs and drawings have been sanctioned, the drone survey completed and the alignment finalised. The plans of all the important major and minor bridges have been approved. The project is being executed by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), and Western Railway wants it to start by December 2027.

The tender for relocation of structures was awarded on October 16 last year, and the work is in progress, said an MRVC spokesperson. The construction, modification/extension of Foot Over Bridges and platforms were awarded in two lots on February 6 and February 7 and the works have commenced. The tender for construction of all major bridges, ROBs, minor bridges and associated earthwork for the proposed embankment was invited on June 6.