Mumbai, Jan. 24 -- Four months after shutting down Elphinstone Bridge, the Indian Railways and the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation (MRIDC) have still not finalised the dates for the megablock to demolish the part of the bridge crossing over active rail lines. The long weekend of January 24-26 was the tentative period when work was supposed to be carried out. However, it didn't go through due to an apparent disagreement over the number of hours required for the block, said officials in the know. According to sources in Central Railway (CR), the MRIDC, a joint venture between the Maharashtra government and the Ministry of Railways, has sought 14 hours for carrying out this demolition work in one go. The proposal was sent to CR's Mumbai Division and its headquarters, where it is held up, officials said. "The file is lying with the headquarters, who are still going through the proposal," said a CR official. "MRIDC have asked for a continuous block of 14 hours, which will have a severe impact on passenger movement. We had asked MRIDC to reduce this block time or carry it out in phases." In all likelihood, the 14-hour block would require the cancellation of over 300-400 suburban trains and 20-25 long-distance trains. Moreover, it will also lead to severe delays and the short termination of south-bound trains at Dadar or earlier. Officials said the ongoing long weekend was an ideal one for the block, and there is no such period available in the near future, as public holidays fall on weekdays. The block is now likely to be scheduled over a regular weekend (Saturday-Sunday) only. Ever since the British-era bridge was shut for traffic in early September, MRIDC has been dismantling it piece by piece, starting with the approach roads or ramps at either end. Paver blocks on the footpaths, too, have been broken up. Meanwhile, the central portion of the bridge is being cleared of asphalt and steel layers, according to engineers involved in the work. All that now remains of this 112-year-old road overbridge is the portion above the rail tracks, which can be dismantled only when the mega blocks are undertaken. "Blocks in both Central Railway and Western Railway are happening daily at night," Rajesh Jaiswal, managing director, MRIDC, told HT via a text message. However, when asked about the reasons for the delay, he did not respond. The Elphinstone Bridge, which linked the congested Parel and Prabhadevi areas in central Mumbai, is being razed to make way for the Sewri-Worli Elevated Corridor, a key east-west connector being built by the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority. MRIDC is responsible for demolishing and rebuilding the section of the bridge passing over the railway lines. While the official deadline for the elevated corridor's completion is December 2026, the Rs.167-crore project is already mired in red tape, slowing its progress. Work was previously stalled due to MRIDC and WR being at loggerheads over way-leave charges-fees for using railway land-for demolishing the bridge and building the elevated corridor....