Could Badlapur become a rail hub? Terminus and upgrades planned

A crowded Badlapur railway station. FILE PIC

There is good news for all those struggling in crushing loads of Badlapur trains and beyond Kalyan. A delegation of local leaders on Thursday gave a proposal to the railway minister seeking upgrades. The proposal seeks to develop Badlapur station as a terminus, start a new Vande Bharat from Badlapur to Pune, and build two new suburban railway stations and a new branch line.

A key meeting was held in New Delhi with Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to discuss the growing issues in the Badlapur area. The meeting was attended by Palghar MP and former Badlapur municipal president Rambhau Patkar.

BJP MP Ram Patkar (in blue) meets Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw (left), in New Delhi. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Elaborating about the meeting, Patkar said, "We have been consistently pursuing solutions to the problems faced by lakhs of railway passengers in Badlapur city. The meeting will accelerate several important demands, and in the future railway facilities in the Badlapur region will improve significantly." After hearing the presentation, Vaishnaw appreciated the thorough preparation and directed the departments to examine the proposals with a positive approach.

Status of station

An official said that the MRVC has undertaken various development works at Badlapur station, a crucial suburban station with the highest footfall between Kalyan and Karjat. These upgrades aim to enhance passenger convenience and are being executed in phases. The ongoing and upcoming works include two additional 12-meter-wide foot over bridges and a 150-meter-long deck connecting the home and island platforms, along with a middle 12-meter foot over bridge. The cost of the project is approximately 80 crore.

The proposals

Badlapur Terminus

A major proposal to grant "terminus" status to Badlapur railway station was presented during the meeting. Vaishnaw responded positively and directed officials to submit a detailed report on the proposal.

New station and line

Another proposal discussed was the construction of a new railway station at Chamtoli (Kasgaon) between Badlapur and Vangani, along with the development of a new railway line between Kasgaon and Kamothe. The railway minister responded favourably and instructed officials to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project. He also directed the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) to conduct an on-site inspection and submit a detailed report.

Guravli station

The meeting also discussed the proposal to build a new Guravli railway station ahead of Titwala. It was pointed out that many local and other trains originating from Badlapur frequently run late. The minister assured that most of the demands raised would be examined and action would be taken.

Vande Bharat idea

Vaishnaw also ordered a study on the feasibility of starting a Badlapur-Pune Vande Bharat Express service. Considering the growing passenger traffic at Badlapur station, discussions were also held on extending the length of the platforms. After the extension, the possibility of providing halts for express trains at Badlapur station will be considered positively.

Official speak

Central Railway officials said work on redevelopment of the station at Badlapur was already underway, being undertaken by Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Limited. However, no fresh instructions for any study have been received so far.

Voices

Nandkumar Deshmukh, president, Mumbai Suburban Railway Passengers' Federation
‘Badlapur is crying for help. The crowds there have more than doubled. This proposal, if it really gets through, will change the face of Badlapur station. It will absorb the growing population and their commuter needs. Patkar has done what any other MP from Mumbai has been unable to do so far. We are thankful to him.'

Anup Suresh Mhetre,a commuter a commuter
‘Considering the growing population and the new projects coming up in Ambernath and Badlapur, all of this could indeed prove to be a very promising prospect for the future. This project has to work out, and if the minister is serious, he will ask the railways to take it up'

Harshad Chambawane, a commuter
‘The expedited completion of new lines and the remodelling of Kalyan station are urgently needed. The work currently underway is progressing far too slowly. Even the 15-coach train project continues to drag on. With the Panvel-Karjat line soon operational, the Kasgaon-Kamothe project no longer seems as critical, and the chances of it receiving approval appear slim. It would be highly beneficial if the Vande Bharat service were introduced'