Western Railway Targets 45-Day Rebuild Of Bandra–Khar Flyover For Mumbai's Crucial Sixth Rail Line

Mumbai: In a major push to speed up one of Mumbai's most important railway infrastructure projects, Western Railway (WR) is planning to rebuild the Bandra–Khar Road rail flyover in just 45 days, nearly halving the earlier proposed 90-day shutdown. The reconstruction is critical for completing the Mumbai Central–Borivali sixth railway line, a key capacity expansion project under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). Railway officials are preparing to use precast construction technology and advanced engineering methods to complete demolition, rebuilding and commissioning within a single mega block, subject to final approvals.

The existing flyover carries Harbour Line trains running between CSMT/Panvel and Goregaon and currently blocks the alignment required for the sixth railway line. Once rebuilt, the new structure will create the space needed to lay the additional track, allowing better segregation of suburban and long-distance train operations. Railway officials said the revised strategy aims to reduce inconvenience to passengers by significantly shortening the shutdown period.

The sixth line project, being implemented by Western Railway in association with Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) under MUTP Phase-II, covers a 30.04-km stretch between Mumbai Central and Borivali. While the section from Khar Road to Borivali has already been commissioned, work on the remaining Mumbai Central–Khar Road stretch remains challenging due to the dense urban landscape, utility shifting and station modifications.

According to Western Railway, most land acquisition for the project has been completed, with only a small portion of government land at Lower Parel awaiting final statutory clearances. All five Engineering Sanction Proposals have been approved, utility shifting has begun, four of the five planned electrical buildings have been completed, and signalling, telecommunication and overhead equipment works are progressing.

The remaining work includes construction of 15 bridges, nearly 13.3 km of earthwork, new island platforms, foot over bridges, service buildings, track linking and electrical works. The Bandra–Khar flyover reconstruction is considered one of the most complex engineering tasks in the entire project. Western Railway also has to relocate project-affected persons in Bandra East, build new Platforms 7 and 8 at Bandra, modify existing station infrastructure and shift several railway buildings and utilities at Mahim, Lower Parel and Mumbai Central.

The reconstruction is expected to impact Harbour Line commuters. During the 45-day mega block, Harbour Line services between Bandra and Goregaon are likely to remain suspended or curtailed, with many trains expected to terminate at Bandra. Western Railway is preparing a detailed traffic management plan to minimise inconvenience to lakhs of daily passengers.

Officials said innovative construction methods, including precast segmental technology, are being adopted to speed up execution while maintaining safety. Major civil work tenders are expected to be processed in phases beginning in August 2026.

Once completed, the sixth railway line will increase capacity on the Western suburban corridor, improve punctuality of mail and express trains by separating them from suburban services, provide greater operational flexibility and support the introduction of additional local train services. With passenger demand continuing to grow, railway officials say the project will play a key role in strengthening Mumbai's suburban rail network and easing congestion on one of the busiest railway corridors in the country.

WR 6th Line Project

45 days – Flyover rebuild target

90 days – Earlier proposed shutdown

30.04 km – Mumbai Central–Borivali corridor

15 bridges to be built

13.3 km of earthwork

14/29 utilities shifted

4/5 electrical buildings completed

3/5 signalling works underway

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