December 27, 2025: Mumbai’s suburban railway network, the backbone of daily mobility in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), is set to undergo a major transformation with large-scale infrastructure projects worth Rs 18,364.94 crore currently underway across the Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR). The ambitious redevelopment aims to enhance capacity, improve service reliability and address the growing demand for suburban train travel in India’s financial capital.
According to railway officials, the projects span a total route length of over 400 kilometres and are at different stages of execution, including new line construction, route extensions and upgrades to existing services. “The demand for train services on different routes is ever increasing and to provide better services for ease of travel, in Mumbai and suburbs, various Railway projects covering a total stretch of 400.53 kms at a total estimated cost of Rs 18,364.94 crores have been planned are in different stages of execution including construction/extension of rail routes and upgradation of existing services,” the CR-WR said on Thursday.
Both CR and WR, headquartered in Mumbai, operate across Mumbai and adjoining districts such as Thane, Raigad and Palghar. While the Western Railway runs from Churchgate to Dahanu Road, the Central Railway network includes routes from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Karjat–Khopoli and Kasara on the Main Line, CSMT to Panvel and Bandra on the Harbour Line, Thane to Panvel on the Trans Harbour Line, and Nerul/Belapur to Uran on the Port Line.
Several key projects are currently in progress. These include the CSMT–Kurla 5th and 6th line project under MUTP-II, spanning 17.5 track kilometres at a cost of ₹891 crore, being implemented in two phases. The Panvel–Karjat Suburban Corridor under MUTP-III, covering 29.6 kilometres at an estimated cost of Rs 2,782 crore, is being executed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Ltd. Additionally, the Kalyan–Asangaon 4th line and the Kalyan–Badlapur 3rd and 4th line projects under MUTP-III-A are progressing, further strengthening the suburban rail network to meet future commuting needs.
