A planning error on Mumbai’s Metro Line 7A could require the demolition and reconstruction of nearly one kilometre of elevated viaduct in Vile Parle East. The height of the overhead electric equipment exceeds the clearance permitted by the Airports Authority of India in the airport funnel zone by about 2.5 metres.
The mismatch has halted work on the stretch even though most of the civil construction is complete. If no technical solution is found, work valued at around Rs 250 crore may have to be redone. This would further delay the 3.4-km line that is meant to connect Andheri East with Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.
The project was originally scheduled to open in 2021 and has already missed several deadlines. The latest complication makes it unlikely to become operational in the financial year 2026-27.
According to officials of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority, the problem centres on the additional height required for the overhead electric system needed to run the metro. Although the Airports Authority of India had issued no-objection certificates when permissions were sought in 2022, this extra height was not incorporated into the original design.
Construction of the elevated section, including the Airport Colony station, proceeded until the height issue was identified in 2025. Work was then paused and revised permissions were sought. An MMRDA official said efforts are under way to resolve the matter between the design consultant and the Airports Authority, but technical constraints cannot be overcome through compromise. Without a solution, the viaduct may need to be rebuilt.
The civil consultant for the line is a consortium that includes Systra. The firm has maintained it was not responsible for the error, while the Airports Authority has so far declined to allow the extra height.
By February 2026 the entire elevated viaduct had been completed, along with 95 per cent of the elevated ramp. Work on the Airport Colony station was also substantially finished. Line 7A comprises roughly 2.5 km of underground alignment and about 940 metres of elevated section. Once operational, it will link with the underground Metro Line 3 at the airport, offering a direct connection for passengers travelling from the northern suburbs towards south Mumbai.