Mumbai is considering a major suburban rail expansion project that could introduce an underground railway tunnel between Parel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), with Byculla potentially becoming the city’s first underground suburban railway station.
The proposed tunnel is part of the broader plan to add fifth and sixth railway lines along the 17.5-km Kurla-Parel-CSMT corridor. The project aims to separate suburban train operations from long-distance rail services, thereby improving capacity, reducing congestion and enhancing punctuality on one of Mumbai’s busiest railway routes.
Phase I of the expansion, covering the Kurla-Parel section, is already underway. The second phase, between Parel and CSMT, is currently under examination by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC).
MRVC is evaluating the feasibility of routing the fast suburban railway line underground between Parel and CSMT, with an underground station proposed at Byculla. Officials said the underground option is being explored primarily to avoid large-scale land acquisition challenges in the densely built-up corridor.
“We have appointed a private consultant to study the feasibility of the project. The first round of discussions has taken place,” an MRVC official said.
Japanese consultancy PADECO has been appointed to assess the engineering feasibility, geological conditions, tunnel alignment and other technical aspects of the proposal, including the possibility of constructing an underground suburban station at Byculla.
If approved, the existing Byculla station would continue to serve the slow suburban railway corridor, while the proposed underground station would cater to the fast suburban line.
Railway officials noted that suburban trains are better suited for underground operations than long-distance trains, as they can handle the steeper gradients required for tunnel alignment.
An MRVC official stated that the proposed tunnel could be located around 20 to 25 metres below the existing railway corridor, reducing the need for additional land acquisition.
The underground suburban rail proposal has gained momentum following the successful completion of Mumbai Metro Line 3, the city’s first underground metro corridor. “The metro project demonstrated that large-scale tunnelling is possible even in the most congested parts of Mumbai. We are now examining whether a similar approach can be adopted for suburban railway lines,” a senior Central Railway official said.
Source: Swarajya
