The project has a deadline of March 31, 2021 though officials said that it is doubtful that the deadline would be met.
The late start to several projects is bleeding the railways and the 6th line between Mumbai Central and Borivali, expected to make Western Railway's (WR) train operations more efficient, is no different. A Right to Information (RTI) plea filed by dna has revealed that the rise in the cost of the project between 2008, when it was sanctioned, and 2016 is a whopping 114%.
When the project was sanctioned, it had a cost of Rs430 Cr and by the time the works began, it had shot up to Rs918.53 Cr, a reply from WR's engineering department has shown.
The project is among the most important for WR as it will allow complete segregation of long-distance and suburban trains between Mumbai Central and Borivali. This will mean that WR will have four lines to run suburban trains and two lines - 5th and 6th - to run long-distance trains. In addition, it will have two lines as harbour lines between Mahim and Andheri (set to be extended to Goregaon in a year's time).
"Currently, WR runs its long-distance trains on a line called the Suburban Train Avoidance (STA) track - also called the 5th line, a track on which trains can run in both directions. Since this 5th line is missing between Santa Cruz and Mahim, there is pressure on suburban lines and a resultant loss of punctuality on the part of local and long-distance trains," explained an official.
These officials pointed out that the cost of the project going up further in the time to come is not ruled out. "There are encroachment issues, and while the survey between Borivali and Bandra Terminus has been conducted, the ones between Bandra Terminus to Mumbai Central haven't even been surveyed," said an official. The RTI reply has revealed the encroachments between Borivali and Bandra Terminus at 607 hutments.
The project has a deadline of March 31, 2021 though officials said that it is doubtful that the deadline would be met. "Work is moving slowly, despite it being a project monitored by the Prime Minister's Office," said an official.
One of the biggest part of the project currently underway is the work being done for the new harbour rail flyover. The flyover, 886 metre long at a cost of Rs36 Cr, will replace the current harbour flyover between Bandra and Khar.
Current cost of project - Rs 918.53 Cr
Cost when sanctioned in 2008 - Rs 430 Cr
Encroachments between Borivali and Bandra Terminus - 607
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