To construct the fifth and sixth track lines in Harbour Line from Parel to CSMT, Central Railway (CR) will have to terminate local train services up to Sandhurst Road Station. CR also planning to demolish the fast up and down lines at Byculla Railway Station to create space for the new tracks. Then, this will stop the fast trains between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) and Dadar.
The construction proposals are under serious planning, and availability is being checked by the concerned authorities. According to these sources, platforms one and two at CSMT and Masjid will be used for CR's Main line services. At present, the 5th and 6th lines are available between Kalyan and Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) stations, and work is underway to extend them between Kurla and Parel as well.
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Authorities have been discussing their alignment between Parel and CSMT because of the need for land acquisition, especially private land -- a major issue. "Under the Railways Act, we can acquire land, but it is a time-consuming process and will cost an astronomical sum, which could make the project unviable," said official from Central Railway.
Earlier a decade ago, Central Line proposed an alternative alignment for the Harbour Line from Dockyard Road over the Eastern Freeway. The purpose was to free up space at both Masjid and Sandhurst Road for the exclusive use of the fifth and sixth lines from Kurla to CSMT.
"This plan also required land from Mumbai Port Trust, which did not show a keen interest in the proposal. Additionally, MMRDA had a plan to extend its Metro 4 corridor between Wadala and Thane to CSMT via PD'Mello Road, leading to discussions about avoiding a duplication of railway lines," a CR official said to TOI.