MVRC speeds up ₹3,500-cr Virar-Dahanu Road rail line

Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has fast-tracked the quadrupling work on the Virar-Dahanu Road railway line involving ₹3,500 crore investment. Work has also started on the construction of bridges on the stretch. Almost 70 per cent of land acquisition has been completed and tender has also been invited for earthworks, including associated general electrification and overhead equipment (OHE) works, as well as stations and other building-related works. The quadrupling work on the Virar-Dahanu Road section – an electrified double line track – will allow trains to run at a maximum speed of 160 kmph. The project is expected to be completed by March 2024.

In all, 86 new bridges have been planned in the entire stretch, and work contracts to build bridges in all sections between stations have been awarded. Eight new stations and several new structures, like station buildings at Virar, Vaitarna, Saphale, Kelve Road, Palghar, Umroli, Boisar and Wangaon-Dahanu road, will come up. Currently, Western Railway runs suburban services on the existing double line between Virar-Dahanu Road — part of mainline Mumbai-Ahmedabad-Delhi route, which is already oversaturated. The construction of an additional double line between Virar-Dahanu Road was proposed under Mumbai Urban Transport Project III in 2015, as this will provide extension of suburban services from Churchgate to Dahanu Road.