Five small stations on the Western Railway and Central Railway—Khar, Kandivali, Mira Road, Kasara, and Neral—are now undergoing construction. According to sources, preliminary construction has also started at the four remaining stations. “By March 2024, we hope to have finished the work at Khar. We have also started work at a few more stations, according to MRVC Chairman and Managing Director Subhash C. Gupta.

Mumbai: The first station to get a facelift is Khar, and construction is moving along nicely. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is gradually altering this little station, and at Khar, a massive elevated concourse that was first built above the platforms’ roofs can be seen. The rail planning organization in Mumbai is concentrating on modernizing smaller suburban stations, which have grown to be just as crowded as the larger railway stations.

An elevated deck is in situ above the platforms for the Harbour line at Khar. The construction will resemble that done at the elevated decks created at the stations in Andheri, Borivali, and Goregaon to ease congestion and ensure quicker dispersion of train users. This deck has already been partially exposed to the public and will be connected by various footover bridges. 

Five small stations on the Western Railway and Central Railway—Khar, Kandivali, Mira Road, Kasara, and Neral—are now undergoing construction. According to sources, preliminary construction has also started at the four remaining stations. “By March 2024, we hope to have finished the work at Khar. Work has also started at a few other stations, according to MRVC chairman and managing director Subhash C. Gupta.

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An elevated deck is in situ above the platforms for the Harbour line at Khar. The construction will resemble that done at the elevated decks created at the stations in Andheri, Borivali, and Goregaon to ease congestion and ensure quicker dispersion of train users. This deck has already been partially exposed to the public and will be connected by various footover bridges.

On the northern end of this station, work is being done to connect this elevated concourse with a newly constructed elevated ticket booking office. On the west side of the station, temporary porta cabins with ticket offices inside have been built up. The lane has been expanded and the roofed departure lane next to the Harbour line tracks has been removed. Metal girders that are slated to be launched soon to complete the concourse bridge are littered throughout the station’s perimeter. On the east side of Khar station, not much construction has been done in the meantime.

“We located the stations that require attention. We want to redesign these stations so that they can handle current and future traffic. Additionally, we will remove all obstructions from the platforms and increase the area available for commuter mobility. A few stations have drawings in place, and others are undergoing tendering procedures. Once the work starts, we anticipate finishing it in 36 months, said an MRVC official.

Under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP)-3A, the MRVC has undertaken work to rehabilitate 17 stations for a cost of 1,053 crore. Over the years, there has been a consistent flow of passengers. Two stations, Mumbai Central and Vikhroli, will no longer be on the list of 19 stations that the MRVC was originally intended to renovate at a cost of 947 crore since upgrade projects would now be undertaken under other railway programs. Santacruz, Bhayandar, Vasai Road, and Nallasopara on the WR; Bhandup, Ghatkopar, Mulund, and Dombivali on the Mainline; and GTB Nagar, Mankhurd, Govandi, and Chembur on the Harbour line of the CR are the other stations in line.

Source- Hindustan times