Thane: Residents Threaten Fresh Protests Over Delayed Retibunder Railway Underpass In Mumbra

Thane, September 19, 2026: Residents in Mumbra's Retibunder area are growing increasingly frustrated with the ongoing delay in building a crucial railway underpass. Demanded since 2007 to alleviate commuting woes and enhance train safety, the project has yet to make any substantial progress despite repeated assurances from the railway administration.

For nearly two decades, community leaders Rakesh Bhagat and Sainath Laxman Bhosale have been engaged in fruitless correspondence with officials. When officials promised construction would commence after the monsoon in October 2024, citizens postponed a planned protest. However, when that deadline passed without any development, citizens escalated their resistance by initiating an indefinite hunger strike and road blockade on January 16, 2025, backed by local politicians.

A railway official, Sanjay Kumar, visited the site and reassured citizens that the underpass would be completed by May 2025. However, despite the delivery of some materials, work was halted once again. Following revised targets set by Assistant Divisional Engineer Alapure, construction dates were pushed to October 2025 and then January 2026. Both revised targets were also unmet due to pending mega-block approvals.

On February 24, 2026, citizens reconvened and unanimously decided to resume their suspended agitation. Community representative Bapu Chokse issued a stern ultimatum to the railway authorities: "Mere assurances will no longer suffice; active, ground-level construction must begin at the site immediately. If the authorities fail to act, citizens will be forced to take to the streets again, and the administration will bear full responsibility for any resulting public unrest."