Navi Mumbai: Airoli-Kalwa Rail Link Only 46% Complete After 8 Years, Delays Due To Land Acquisition And R&R Issues

The Airoli-Kalwa elevated rail link project, launched nearly eight years ago to decongest Thane, one of the busiest suburban station of Central Railways Mumbai Division, and provide a direct connection between Navi Mumbai and Kalyan, is still far from completion, with only 46% of the project finished.

The project, which was sanctioned under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) Phase 3 in December 2016, has encountered significant delays, the most recent involving land acquisition and the rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R) of displaced families.

The rail link, being implemented by Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC), is planned in two phases. Phase I, which involved the construction of a new halt station at Digha, was completed without the need for land acquisition, with the ‘Digha Gaon’ station successfully commissioned in January 2024. Additional work on bridges and girders has also been completed.

However, Phase II, which involves the construction of an elevated corridor between Airoli and Kalwa, remains stalled. Out of the 2.4 hectares of land required for the project, 1.87 hectares of government land has been acquired; the remaining 0.53 hectares of private land is still in the process of acquisition. According to sources, this delay in acquiring the private land has put the second phase on hold.

Another major obstacle is the R&R of families affected by the construction. According to sources, Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has earmarked 868 tenements for displaced families. Of these, only 82 families have been allotted housing following joint verification by MRVC and MMRDA, but protests by local residents and political leaders have delayed verification for the remaining 786 families, particularly in Bhola Nagar and Shivaji Nagar.

“Efforts to resolve issues related to the rehabilitation and resettlement of project-affected families are ongoing. We are conducting regular coordination meetings, but local protests have slowed the process,” an MRVC official said.

+During a recent visit to Mumbai, Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw assured reporters that the project would be completed within 36 months after the R&R issues are resolved. However, political tensions among various parties seeking to gain favour with vote banks, which include residents who have illegally encroached on the project’s land, continue to add to the delays.

The eight-kilometre elevated rail link is crucial for alleviating congestion at Thane station and improving connectivity between Navi Mumbai and Kalyan, Dombivli, Ambernath, and Badlapur. Currently, these commuters are forced to travel to Thane station and then take the Harbour Line to reach Navi Mumbai’s Vashi station. The completion of the Airoli-Kalwa corridor would provide direct access from Kalwa to Navi Mumbai, easing the growing passenger burden on Thane station.