India, Dec. 27 -- While the Mumbaikar's fight for space inside local trains is well documented, coincidentally, the Indian Railways itself is similarly constrained to expand its existing infrastructure. The swathes of land along the tracks of Mumbai's suburban lines occupied by colonies of slums are an impediment to the execution of critical rail projects.

Over approximately six decades, more than 30 hectares of rail land on Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) corridors have been encroached by illegal slums, delaying the expansion of two lines - termed fifth and sixth. The project is worth Rs.2500 crore approximately.

This is our land: Slum dwellers

The encroachments have assimilated on lands belonging to both the railways an...