Mumbai's First Underground Local Train Station Likely To Come Up at Byculla

Mumbai could get its first underground suburban railway station at Byculla if a proposal for an underground rail corridor between Parel and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) receives approval. The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is studying the possibility of building an underground fast suburban corridor between Parel and CSMT.

The proposed tunnel will include an underground station at Byculla. This is being considered to avoid the difficulties of acquiring land in south Mumbai. The stretch is part of one of Mumbai's biggest suburban railway expansion projects. 

The goal is to add the fifth and sixth railway lines along the 17.5-km Kurla-Parel-CSMT route. These tracks will separate suburban train services from long-distance trains. Work on the first phase between Kurla and Parel is already in progress. The second phase, from Parel to CSMT, is now under study.

MRVC has appointed Japanese consultancy firm PADECO to carry out a feasibility study for the project. Railway officials said the first round of discussions has already taken place. The study will examine whether the tunnel can be built and whether an underground suburban station at Byculla is possible. It will also study the geological conditions, the tunnel's alignment and other technical aspects.

If the proposal is approved, the new underground station at Byculla will serve fast suburban trains. The existing Byculla railway station will continue to operate for trains on the slow corridor.

According to sources, the tunnel may be built around 20 to 25 metres below the existing railway corridor. The railway is also studying whether the tunnelling method of metro line 3 can be used for suburban railway lines.

As part of the study, engineers will also examine how the proposed railway tunnel will fit with Mumbai's metro network. The study will also examine the location of power cables, stormwater drains and other underground utilities.

The Parel-CSMT route passes through some of Mumbai's oldest and most densely populated neighbourhoods. Acquiring land in these areas is costly. Rehabilitating people affected by the project is also difficult. The project to add the fifth and sixth railway lines between Kurla and CSMT was approved in 2008. The estimated cost of the tunnel project could reach around INR 3,000 crore.