July 18, 2025: Mumbai’s long-anticipated Airoli–Kalwa elevated suburban rail corridor—envisioned to decongest Thane station and enhance cross-city connectivity—has run into its most serious challenges yet: land acquisition disputes and rehabilitation delays. While the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) confirms that 45% of the project is complete, critical progress hinges on resolving social and legal bottlenecks.
Of the 2.40 hectares required for the project, over 95% has already been secured. However, 0.53 hectares of private land and the resettlement of 786 families in Bhola Nagar and Shivaji Nagar remain unsettled. MRVC officials state that discussions with state authorities are ongoing to address the impasse.
The project, launched eight years ago, is structured in two phases. Phase one—featuring a new halt at Digha Gaon and bridge infrastructure—was commissioned in January 2024 and progressed smoothly without major land hurdles. The second and more complex phase, an elevated link between Airoli and Kalwa, remains stalled pending resolution of resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) challenges.
Though 1.87 hectares of government land was acquired with minimal friction, the private parcels and intense R&R efforts have been met with resistance. MRVC and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) continue to hold regular dialogue with affected residents, though a definitive timeline is yet to emerge. Officials maintain the project will be completed within 36 months of resolving the R&R process.
Experts underscore the corridor’s potential to relieve commuter pressure, cut emissions, and support equitable growth. However, critics warn that insufficient community engagement may erode trust and cause costly setbacks. As Mumbai grapples with rapid urbanisation, the corridor represents a test case in harmonising engineering ambition with social inclusion. Its outcome could well influence the city’s future transport infrastructure blueprint.
Source: Urban Acres
