MUMBAI: Western Railway is exploring advanced construction techniques to rebuild the Bandra-Khar Road flyover within an intensive 45-day block period, reducing the originally estimated six-month construction timeline and speeding up the Mumbai Central-Borivali sixth line project.A senior railway official said on Thursday that efforts are underway to adopt innovative methods that would allow the reconstruction to be completed in a much shorter period while minimising disruption to Mumbai’s suburban rail services.The sixth line project, being implemented under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase II in collaboration with the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), is a key capacity enhancement initiative for the city’s overburdened rail network. Spanning 30.04 km between Mumbai Central and Borivali, the project aims to increase corridor capacity, improve punctuality, enable additional suburban services and ensure better separation of suburban and long-distance train operations.Officials said the Khar Road-Borivali section has already been commissioned, with work now focused on the more challenging Mumbai Central-Khar Road stretch. The section involves complex engineering work amid dense urban development, along with land constraints, utility diversions and the construction of multiple railway structures.The project has made significant progress in planning and preparation. Land acquisition is almost complete, with only 88.6 square metres of government land at Shakti Mill in Lower Parel awaiting final formalities. All five Engineering Sanction Proposals have been approved, while utility shifting work has begun, with 14 of the 29 identified utilities already relocated.Infrastructure development is also progressing steadily. Four of the five planned Electric Interlocking buildings have been completed, signalling and telecommunications work is underway under three sanctioned packages, and contracts for electrical foundations and overhead equipment work have been awarded.Western Railway has adopted a phased execution strategy involving the construction of 15 bridges, nearly 13.3 km of earthwork, new island platforms, foot overbridges, station facilities and track infrastructure. The project also includes the rehabilitation of affected families in Bandra East, construction of new Platforms 7 and 8 at Bandra, modification of foot overbridges, and relocation of railway structures and utilities at Mahim, Lower Parel and Mumbai Central.Officials said modern techniques such as precast segmental construction will be used wherever feasible to speed up work and minimise inconvenience to millions of daily commuters. Once completed, the sixth line is expected to significantly improve operational efficiency and increase capacity on one of India’s busiest railway corridors.
