Mumbai: Railway Board CEO visits Khar, Ghatkopar; suggests 15-car readiness, faster completion of projects

Railway Board CEO and Chairman Satish Kumar (in grey jacket) visits Khar Road station on Saturday. PICS/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Railway Board CEO and Chairman Satish Kumar on Saturday night visited suburban railway stations on Western Railway (WR) and inspected Khar Road station till 11.30 pm.

The redevelopment of Khar station has been a showcase project of the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) as a part of its aim to modernise 17 high-footfall suburban railway stations. The work involved an investment of Rs 85 crore and features significant upgrades to enhance passenger experience and decongest the station.

Kumar landed in Mumbai at 10.05 pm and reached Khar Road at 10.40 pm. He inspected the station improvement works at Khar until 11.20 pm, expressed strong appreciation for the upgraded infrastructure, and commended MRVC's efforts, advising the station master and WR officials to maintain the facilities with the same high standards.

Kumar, who is on a three-day visit to Maharashtra, will be visiting suburban stations on Central Railway (CR), visiting Nashik for preparations for Nashik-Trimbakeshwar Simhastha to be held in 2027 and then return to Mumbai on Monday to inspect CSMT development work and attend a meeting of the zonal railways, MRVC, and the Rail Land Development Authority.

What has been done at Khar?

The MRVC, under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project (MUTP) 3A, has completed the station improvement work of Khar Road railway station - a major milestone in its R950 crore initiative to upgrade 17 key suburban railway stations across Mumbai. The Khar Road station upgrade provides a modern, commuter-friendly environment, significantly enhancing accessibility, safety, and convenience for over 1.6 lakh daily passengers.

Vilas Sopan Wadekar, chairman and managing director of MRVC, said, "The transformation of Khar station reinforces MRVC's commitment to delivering a modern and inclusive urban rail system in Mumbai.
The improvement in station infrastructure marks a significant leap toward decongesting suburban rail infrastructure and enhancing passenger experience."

While returning from Nashik, Kumar visited Ghatkopar station on Sunday evening and inspected the completed station upgrade work in the east and plans for the development of the station in the west. He also visited the Ghatkopar Metro station of Blue Line 1.

Commuters at Ghatkopar welcomed his arrival, saying Kumar should plan a visit every six months. As a precursor to his visit, all glitches and flaws that commuters face every day were fixed instantly, and the station was painted and scrubbed clean. In fact, some painters continued to paint up after the visit was over.

Key features of Khar Road station

>> A newly constructed 270 m × 10 m platform designed to ease congestion and improve passenger flow.
>> A 4952-sq-m elevated deck - the largest among WR suburban stations
>> A skywalk measuring 31 m × 4.7 m (145.7 sq m)
>> Three lifts and and escalators, including a double-discharge one
>> Well-designed ramp with handrails
>> Tactile and guide tiles across platforms, stairs, lifts, escalators, and booking offices for persons with disabilities
>> Two booking offices
>> Deluxe toilet block on the deck with dedicated PWD facility
>> New station manager's office on the deck
>> High volume low speed fans (24-feet sweep) for enhanced ventilation
>> Platforms are now equipped with PWD-friendly infrastructure, improved lighting, and better ventilation
>> Properly maintained circulating area
>> Aesthetic new station facade

Platform extension suggestion

Kumar suggested exploring the feasibility of enabling all upgraded platforms to handle 15 coach rakes, wherever possible. At present, such rakes operate on WR's Andheri to Virar slow section, and this was made possible by extending the platforms at 14 stations between Andheri and Virar to accommodate longer trains.