Bombay HC Allows Action Against Kurla-Trombay Railway Safety-Zone Encroachments, Stresses Rehabilitation

Mumbai, August 13, 2026 - The Bombay High Court has cleared the path for taking legal action against encroachments within the railway safety zone along the Kurla-Trombay section, acknowledging the necessity to expand the railway track. However, the court emphasized that any eviction process must adhere to the rehabilitation guidelines set forth by the Supreme Court. A panel, led by Justice Bharati Dangre, was hearing a lawsuit pertaining to encroachments on the Kurla-Trombay railway corridor.

In their judgment delivered on August 10, the court examined photographs submitted and noted that the slum was situated within the railway track’s safety zone. Consequently, the court declared that it had to grant permission for the Railway to take action. Simultaneously, the court underscored that eviction should not transpire without adhering to the safeguards outlined by the Supreme Court.

These safeguards involve conducting a survey of inhabitants residing on railway safety-zone land, creating a list of eligible occupants, and forwarding the list to the District Collector. The Collector is subsequently tasked with facilitating the rehabilitation of the displaced individuals post-eviction.

According to railway records presented before the court, 3,762 hutments have been identified as illegal encroachments on the Kurla-Trombay line, covering approximately 9,000 square meters. Demolition notices have been issued to all of these structures. However, 346 structures have been granted court protection, leaving 3,416 hutments slated for demolition.

The court noted that an interim order issued in January 2023 had halted demolition proceedings. Despite the protection originally granted until February 10, 2023, the court observed that it had remained in effect based on preliminary observations. The court expressed the urgency of resolving the matter, citing the Railway’s pressing need for track expansion.

The Railway has compiled a booklet detailing the encroachers, including their addresses and mobile numbers. The court directed its counsel to submit the booklet at the subsequent hearing. The Kurla-Trombay encroachments represent a broader issue plaguing Mumbai’s suburban railway network. Railway data reveals around 13,839 illegal structures occupying 37.29 hectares of Central Railway land, with the Kurla, Mankhurd, and Kurla-Trombay stretches accounting for a substantial concentration.

On the Western Railway, 10,572 unauthorized structures have also been identified, with the Bandra-Khar belt exhibiting the highest concentration.

The court permitted the petitioners to bring the Mumbai Suburban District Collector as an additional respondent and scheduled the matter for a hearing on August 20.