Archive · 13 Aug 2026
MRVC Uses Special Soil Technique to Tackle Virar-Dahanu Quadrupling
Building new railway tracks needs strong, steady ground.
In some places near Mumbai, the ground is soft, marshy and full of water.
This kind of soil, called black cotton soil, settles very slowly when heavy tracks are built on it.
Waiting for it to firm up naturally could take years.
Engineers found a faster way to fix the problem.
They push thin plastic drains deep into the ground using special machines.
These drains let trapped water escape so the soil becomes firm much sooner, often in less than six months.
The work is happening along the route between Virar and Dahanu Road, including near Wadhiv Island.
The project will add two new railway lines so more trains can run.
Fifteen-car trains have already started running on the new, wider platforms at Virar station.
Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is using the Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) method to strengthen marshy stretches and black cotton soil along the Virar-Dahanu Road quadrupling project.
The PVD technique, applied around Wadhiv Island, can achieve roughly 90% soil settlement in less than six months, compared with several years under natural conditions.
The ₹3,578-crore project under MUTP-III has achieved 64% physical progress as of July 2026 and will add two new railway lines.
Completed works include about 30.35 lakh cubic metres of earthwork, four RUBs, one ROB, 13 major bridges, 54 minor bridges and around 34.7 km of drainage works.
Virar station platforms 3A and 4A have been widened from 6.5 to 10 metres and extended by 60 metres, with 15-car EMU services between Virar and Dahanu Road now operating.
- Who
- Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), the agency implementing the Virar-Dahanu Road quadrupling project.
- What
- Using the Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD) ground-improvement technique to make marshy and black cotton soil strong enough to carry two new railway tracks.
- When
- Ongoing; the project had achieved 64% physical progress as of July 2026.
- Where
- The Virar-Dahanu Road corridor in the Mumbai region, including marshy stretches such as Wadhiv Island.
- Why
- To speed up soil settlement, reduce the risk of future track deformation, lower track maintenance and improve safety once trains begin operating.
- Project
- Virar-Dahanu Road quadrupling (adds two railway lines)
- Implementing agency
- Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC)
- Programme
- MUTP-III
- Project cost
- ₹3,578 crore
- Physical progress
- 64% as of July 2026
- Ground improvement technique
- Prefabricated Vertical Drain (PVD)
- Settlement timeline
- About 90% settlement in under 6 months
- Virar station platforms
- 3A and 4A widened from 6.5m to 10m and extended by 60m