Western Railway (WR) is set to begin a feasibility study for a proposed underground rail tunnel connecting Churchgate and Mumbai Central, following approval from the Railway Board. The project aims to enhance suburban rail capacity and separate local train operations from long-distance services on one of Mumbai’s busiest rail corridors.
According to railway officials, the proposed tunnel could also be extended up to Prabhadevi, depending on the findings of the survey and future operational requirements.
“We will soon begin a final local survey (FLS) for the proposed rail tunnel. We will examine the requirement for this tunnel and on that basis decide the route should follow,” a senior WR official said.
Officials said constructing additional surface railway lines on this stretch has become increasingly difficult due to limited land availability, high acquisition costs and legal hurdles. Although underground tunnels are significantly more expensive—costing around ₹1,100 crore per kilometre compared to ₹250–300 crore per kilometre for elevated corridors—they are seen as a practical long-term solution.
“Adding more surface lines has become very difficult due to high land acquisition costs, dense urban development and litigation that often delays execution,” the official said. “A tunnel can bypass these hurdles while creating parallel capacity and enabling the segregation of suburban services from goods and long-distance trains.”
Western Railway is simultaneously working on the fifth and sixth railway lines between Mumbai Central and Mahim, targeted for completion by March 2029. While the fifth line is nearing completion, progress on the sixth line has been slower due to land acquisition challenges. During the tunnel survey, officials will also assess whether the underground corridor could serve as an alternative to the proposed sixth line.
Separately, railway authorities confirmed that infrastructure upgrades to support 160 kmph train operations on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Delhi corridor are nearly 90 per cent complete. Once testing is completed, long-distance trains are expected to cover the Mumbai-Delhi route in approximately 12 hours from 2027, significantly reducing current travel time.
Source: Hindustan Times
