Mumbai Metro Line 7A, the 3.4-km corridor planned to connect Andheri East with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, is facing delays because of a height-clearance dispute involving the overhead electrification (OHE) system.
The issue concerns an elevated stretch near Airport Colony station in Vile Parle East. According to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), the electrification system requires approximately 2.5 metres of additional height beyond the limit permitted under aviation-related restrictions. The discrepancy came to light in 2025, after considerable civil construction had already been completed.
MMRDA has held the project’s General Consultant, the SYSTRA-CEG-SMCIPL consortium, responsible for coordinating design requirements and securing compliance with statutory regulations, including aviation clearances. The authority maintains that the necessary OHE height requirements were not adequately accounted for during the initial planning and design stages. However, SYSTRA has contested the attribution of responsibility.
The matter is currently under consideration by the Airports Authority of India (AAI), which is carrying out a final technical assessment to establish the permissible height. MMRDA has indicated that it will undertake a comprehensive technical review once the AAI submits its findings before determining the next course of action.
The delay could have financial and construction implications. Project data cited in reports indicated that the viaduct along the affected stretch was already complete, while nearly 95 per cent of the elevated ramp had been built by February 2026. If the additional height is rejected and engineers cannot identify a workable technical solution, sections of the existing elevated structure could require reconstruction.
Metro Line 7A is intended to strengthen airport connectivity by linking the northern suburbs with the airport and integrating with underground Metro Line 3. The unresolved clearance issue could therefore affect both construction progress and the planned seamless interchange between the two metro corridors.
Source: Construction World
