31 July,2026 02:26 PM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B. Aklekar
The foot overbridge at the Futian Port border, a 240-metre-long pedestrian structure connecting Shenzhen and Hong Kong, which is Narkar’s source of inspiration. Pics/By Special Arrangement
As planners continue to debate long-term solutions to improve public transport connectivity to the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC), the city's premier business district, a simple-yet-unconventional idea is gaining attention - a new suburban railway station between Kurla and Sion called âBKC Road'. Studied and suggested by a Gen Z transport buff, the station could come up on the Central Railway main line between Sion and Kurla suburban railway stations, serving thousands of office-goers headed to BKC every day.
"BKC is so close that train passengers can see it when travelling between Sion and Kurla, yet the approaches from Sion and Kurla stations are not just complex, but inaccessible by road. Winding lanes, dishonest auto drivers, and buses that don't come... Just build a station between Sion and Kurla, and it will be next door. It will be a mega victory for public transport," commuter Viresh Narkar said.
The site of the station and walkway proposed by commuter Viresh Narkar at Bandra-Kurla Complex
"The travelators that are being installed for a city project can be replicated here. Such a travelator FOB can make people reach BKC in no time. While shifting tracks work is being done at Sion, a new station can be formed between Sion and Kurla. It can be connected by a travelator to BKC," he added.
Narkar, who, has used the foot overbridge at Shenzhen and Hong Kong during business visits to China, said people just walk from Shenzhen to Hong Kong. "And here we are struggling with crooked auto drivers and waiting for buses outside Kurla and Bandra railway stations, the access points of BKC, which are in a dire state," he added.
The bridge at the Futian Port border, a 240-metre-long pedestrian structure, connects Shenzhen and Hong Kong. It spans the Shenzhen River, linking Shenzhen's Joint Inspection Building with Hong Kong's Lok Ma Chau Control Point.
Commuters alighting at the new station could access the business district through a dedicated pedestrian skywalk or foot overbridge, reducing dependence on Kurla station, buses and auto-rickshaws.
The proposal stems from the fact that the distance between Kurla and Sion stations is approximately 2.7 km, leaving enough room, at least theoretically, for another halt. Mumbai's suburban railway already has much closer station spacing elsewhere - for instance, Currey Road and Chinchpokli are barely 540 metres apart.
"Works are already on for building the 5th & 6th lines, and, as reported by mid-day, Sion station is being brought closer to the LBS Road in the west, and this could be an opportunity to explore the possibility of a new station as well," Narkar said.
There have been multiple proposals to integrate public transport, and authorities have been systematically rejecting them one by one.
Walking bridges: Two years ago, mid-day had highlighted the Walking Project proposal, suggesting a few key pedestrian bridges to link the BKC with Kurla, Sion, and Chunabhatti, which could change the pedestrian dynamics and create easy walking access to the BKC.
"BKC has limited access points, leading to significant traffic congestion. We had suggested this to the MMRDA and the guardian minister. It is one of the many suggestions gathered from a survey conducted at the BKC identifying issues and proposing enhancements to make the area more pedestrian-friendly," Vedant Mhatre, project director, the Walking Project.
"If the MMRDA were to add a few pedestrian bridges (marked in yellow) over the Mithi River, similar to the ones in Ahmedabad, the walking distance between Kurla Station and Diamond Bourse could be reduced by nearly 25 per cent, from 2.1 km to 1.6 km. People routinely walk these distances in Fort and Churchgate areas every day," he suggested.
Local train through BKC: About a decade ago, there had been a plan to link the Bandra and Kurla stations via a suburban railway. The state government has requested the Indian Railways to get it included in the World Bank-funded Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP). The plan that had been originally included in Phase III of the MUTP but had later been dropped as a number of Metro Rail lines had been planned along the stretch, creating duplication of works.
"A suburban railway is a suburban railway. It does not match any Metro Rail. Moreover, this would entail passengers travelling seamlessly without any interchange, and BKC is in the throes of growth. This is the time we make space for a train in the BKC, before the booming growth takes over the entire area. It is now or never," city activist Anil Galgali, who had been spearheading the campaign, said.
âRailway planners point out that the idea is far from straightforward. The Kurla-Sion section is among the most operationally complex stretches on the suburban network. It carries some of the highest traian frequencies in the country and includes multiple main lines, Harbour line connections, extensive yard infrastructure, bridges over the Mithi river and complicated track layouts. Finding space for new platforms without disrupting train operations would be a major engineering challenge. A station would also require substantial land, new bridges, signalling modifications and pedestrian infrastructure connecting it to BKC, making it an expensive undertaking'
Jitendra Gupta, Citizen Transport Committee
âIt is a simple idea and practical idea. There is no need to spend multiple crores on this. It can be a simple halt station for slow trains and will be immensely helpful. It will be a big public transport win'
Vedant Mhatre, project director, The Walking Project
âA railway station between Kurla and Sion is worth exploring. In the past, we have campaigned for pedestrian bridges connecting Sion and Chunabhatti to BKC. A new railway station with a similar bridge, ideally equipped with travelators, would be an even better solution'
