The ambitious Borivali–Virar 5th and 6th line project, meant to separate suburban and long-distance train operations on Mumbai’s overcrowded Western Railway corridor, is crawling — with just 18 per cent physical progress nearly two years after work began.

The Rs 2184-crore project, part of MUTP–III A, promises to add 26 km of dedicated suburban tracks between Borivali and Virar, easing congestion and improving punctuality for over 35 lakh daily commuters. But a mix of land disputes, environmental restrictions, and legal delays has kept construction scattered and slow.