Mumbai Railway Expansion Hit By Encroachments: 1,574 Illegal Structures Identified Across Key MRVC Projects

Mumbai:   A Right to Information (RTI) reply has revealed that 1,574 encroachments were identified on land required for two major Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) projects, highlighting one of the biggest hurdles in expanding the city's suburban railway network. Of these, 998 encroachments have been removed, while nearly 17,068 square metres of land continues to remain under encroachment, according to information provided by MRVC.

The details were obtained by RTI activist Anil Galgali under the RTI Act, 2005. In its reply dated July 14, 2026, MRVC shared information related to the Kalyan-Badlapur third and fourth railway line project and the Airoli-Kalwa Elevated Corridor project, both considered critical for improving suburban rail capacity and reducing congestion.

For the Kalyan-Badlapur third and fourth line project, MRVC identified 706 encroachments on railway land and newly acquired land during the land acquisition process. These include slums and other structures located between Kalyan and Badlapur railway stations. So far, 620 encroachments have been cleared, while around 9,668 square metres of land was found to be under illegal occupation. MRVC stated that the encroachments had taken place over different periods and therefore no single year could be specified.

In the Airoli-Kalwa Elevated Corridor project, 868 encroachments were identified on railway and newly acquired land between Digha Gaon and Kalwa station. Of these, 378 have been removed, while around 7,400 square metres of land remains encroached upon. MRVC gave a similar response, saying the encroachments had occurred over different years.

The RTI application also sought details on how many sites were re-encroached after clearance drives. MRVC replied that such information was "not available" (N.A.).

Commenting on the findings, RTI activist Anil Galgali said encroachments have become a major obstacle to railway infrastructure projects in Mumbai, often leading to delays, cost escalation and additional burden on public funds. He said merely removing encroachments is not enough and stressed the need for regular monitoring, stronger security and accountability to prevent fresh encroachments on cleared land.

Galgali also demanded that information related to land acquisition, encroachments, rehabilitation and clearance progress be placed in the public domain on a regular basis to improve transparency and keep citizens informed about the status of infrastructure projects.

Responding to the RTI findings, Sunil G. Udasi, Chief Manager (Corporate Coordination), MRVC, said the Airoli-Kalwa Elevated Corridor is a strategically important project for Mumbai's suburban railway network. He said significant progress has already been achieved with the commissioning of Digha Gaon station and completion of key infrastructure works. However, the next phase depends on completion of rehabilitation activities. He added that MRVC is working closely with the Government of Maharashtra and other stakeholders to complete the process so the project can deliver long-term benefits to commuters across the Mumbai Metropolitan Region.

To get details on exclusive and budget-friendly property deals in Mumbai & surrounding regions, do visit: https://budgetproperties.in/