There are renewed hopes for the revival of the Bandra-Kurla suburban local train link, as Mumbai BJP chief and cabinet minister Ashish Shelar, during a meeting on Thursday, questioned why the line was dropped and called for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) to compile a report to be submitted to the Maharashtra chief minister.
A high-level meeting chaired by Shelar was held at the Mumbai suburban district collector’s office, with key officials from the district administration, MMRDA, Brihamumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), Metro project, and traffic police in attendance. The campaign to revive the project has been spearheaded by RTI activist Anil Galgali.
Shelar strongly objected to the dropping of the line, calling it a ‘clear case of deception.’ He alleged that the original railway alignment was scrapped based on false information that misled Mumbaikars. He further instructed that a detailed report on the issue be submitted to Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and himself immediately.
The plan to run local trains through BKC was originally included in phase 3 of the World Bank-funded Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) but was later dropped at the request of the MMRDA, as several Metro rail lines had been planned along the same stretch, resulting in duplication of work
“But a suburban railway is a suburban railway. It does not match any Metro rail. Moreover, this would have allowed passengers to travel seamlessly without any interchange. BKC is in the throes of growth, and this is the time to make space for the train in BKC before the booming development takes over all the land. It is now or never,” said city activist Anil Galgali, who has been leading the campaign.
In fact, the Western Railway had earlier written to the MMRDA stating that the proposed Bandra-Kurla railway line was a crucial link and a pressing need. The letter noted that as commuter traffic on this route increases in the future, the line will prove to be highly beneficial. Galgali obtained the letter through an RTI query.
It may be recalled that in 2011, the MMRDA issued a notification for the deletion of the proposed Bandra-Kurla rail alignment, citing that Metro 2A and 2B (Charkop-Bandra-Mankhurd) had already been planned to provide east-west connectivity. In response, the Western Railway stated that the Metro could not accommodate 36,000 commuters and that, at best, it could complement — not replace — the railway service.
Galgali later sent a letter to Shelar, urging the restoration of the original Kurla-Bandra railway alignment. He alleged that the authorities had manipulated railway station land planning and misled the public by falsely claiming connectivity with Metro routes.
2011
Year MMRDA called for the cancellation of the project
Activist’s demands
. Immediate cancellation of the Urban Development Department’s notification dated October 1, 2018.
. Reinstatement of the original Kurla-Bandra railway alignment.
. Preservation of the proposed railway station sites at E and G blocks.
. A thorough investigation and action against the responsible officials.
. Galgali emphasised that restoring the railway corridor would significantly benefit economic hubs like BKC and help reduce the burden on overcrowded stations such as Dadar and Ghatkopar.
