The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is toying with the idea of having a second tier over Mumbai's existing railway network to lay more dedicated passenger lines over the existing suburban local train lines.
"It's an idea we are considering in the next phase of funding. We will have to commission a feasibility study, which will require big money. Using airspace is a key element for Mumbai," said Dr PC Sehgal, managing director of Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation.
Currently 2,326 local train services cater to 6.1 million commuters on various routes from Virar to Churchgate and Kalyan to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.
"There is great demand to increase these trips, but with outstation and goods trains using the same tracks, there is a desperate demand for more paths. This can be done only by building a second tier over the existing network," said another railway official.
Admitting that a second tier would improve traffic operations, Western Railway's retired principal chief engineer RB Ajgaonkar expressed doubt over how this could be done.
"Considering the number of road-over bridges and foot-over bridges, the second tier would have to be very high. Instead, WR could use the existing fifth line for suburban trains during peak hour traffic up to Mumbai Central Terminus during morning peak hours," added Ajgaonkar.
"Considering the number of road-over bridges and foot-over bridges, the second tier would have to be very high. Instead, WR could use the existing fifth line for suburban trains during peak hour traffic up to Mumbai Central Terminus during morning peak hours," added Ajgaonkar.
"There is absolutely no space along the existing network to expand anywhere and the only option is to grow vertically," said another railway official.
"But we require to survey it to assess its practicality," the official added.
Meanwhile, MRVC is commissioning a study for running 15-coach local trains for Mumbai to Rail In Technical & Economic Services (RITES).