Mumbai's Thane-Kalyan Rail Corridor to Get 7th and 8th Lines

 

Central Railway Plans Expansion: 7th and 8th Lines for Thane-Kalyan Corridor

To tackle the extreme congestion on one of Mumbai's busiest suburban rail stretches, Central Railway (CR) has initiated plans to add 7th and 8th lines to the Thane–Kalyan corridor. This 10.8 km section is currently a major bottleneck, handling nearly 1,000 trains daily and serving approximately 1.2 to 1.5 million commuters.

Key Highlights of the Project:

• Infrastructure Survey: A third-party agency has been appointed to conduct a Final Location Survey (FLS) to determine the exact alignment and engineering requirements. This study is expected to be completed by mid-2026.

• Underground Possibilities: Due to space constraints in densely populated areas like Dombivli, authorities are exploring the possibility of underground alignments for certain stretches.

• Segregating Traffic: The primary goal of these additional lines is to separate suburban local trains from long-distance mail and express trains. This segregation is expected to significantly improve punctuality and increase the frequency of services.

• Wider Network Integration: The project is part of a larger strategy that includes the future expansion of Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) and the development of a new terminus at Parel.

While the project is in its early stages, it represents a vital step toward modernizing Mumbai's lifeline and easing the daily struggle of lakhs of commuters.

To learn more about this project and its impact on Mumbai’s rail network, click the link below: Read the full article on Swarajya