Mumbai: 10 yrs on, ambitious plan for Kurla station deck lies in tatters

Construction work at Kurla station is pending even 10 years after it began. Pics/Rajendra B. Aklekar

In a glaring case of inefficiency by Central Railway, construction on the Kurla elevated station remains stranded even 10 years after it began, plagued by multiple complications. The project has now become one of the longest-delayed railway undertakings. The Comptroller and Auditor General, in its latest report, has criticised Indian Railways, specifically flagging this project.

The project was envisioned to segregate mainline and express trains as part of the 5th and 6th line upgrade, with a new elevated station to separate harbour line platforms. Currently, the 5th and 6th lines end near Vidyavihar and are intended to be extended to Parel and later CSMT. To maintain straight alignment, Railways plan to take over the existing harbour line tracks and remove the current harbour line platform. A new elevated harbour line platform will be constructed, including a terminating platform, mirroring the layout at Parel.

The elevated line begins after Chunabhatti station and ascends towards Kurla, entering the elevated station. It descends just before the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road crossover near Tilak Nagar.

Stranded for a decade

However, the entire project has been stalled due to land acquisition issues, leaving Kurla station in disarray. Incomplete foott overbridges and limited access on the eastern side have become hallmarks of the current station. To resume work on the elevated station, existing foot overbridges may need to be temporarily dismantled.

While Kurla station has an east-west subway, it lacks direct access to platforms and only opens at either end of the station. Meanwhile, the newly rebuilt east-west BMC bridge remains incomplete, falling short of reaching the east side, and has been temporarily linked to an older foot over bridge to accommodate the ongoing elevated station work.

mid-day had first reported on the R125-crore elevated harbour line project in October 2017. The plan includes a 1120-metre-long, 59-span bridge, connected to a central skywalk that links all foot overbridges.

Hanging bridges

It's not just the elevated station bridges that are in limbo. An older foot overbridge has been partially dismantled and now hangs over active railway tracks. One end has been linked mid-way to a newly opened bridge, creating a patchwork mess.

Official Speak

A Central Railway spokesperson claimed land acquisition is being expedited and that officials are in constant touch with local authorities to resolve pending issues.

The plan includes an 1120-metre-long, 59-span bridge, connected to a central skywalk that links all foot overbridges. Pics/Rajendra B. Aklekar

How much land is needed?

Out of the 10,060.99 sq m needed for the first phase of the 10.1 km Kurla-Parel stretch, 3639.34 sq m is government land and 6421.65 sq m is privately owned. So far, only 2656 sq m has been acquired.

‘Height of inefficiency'

Subhash Gupta
Kurla resident and Yatri Sangh member
"This is the height of inefficiency. It's high time the Railways act and speed up the project. Kurla station is a mess. Even when top officials visit, there's no visible progress."

Jitendra Gupta
Citizens Transport Forum
"It's shocking how no pressure has been mounted on authorities by passenger associations or elected representatives. Why haven't the courts fast-tracked such vital public interest matters? If the land belongs to Railways, how were encroachments allowed in the first place? Why weren't bulldozers brought in before legal complications arose? Where is the accountability?"