Mumbai: Ghatkopar railway station integration with Metro Blue Line begins

Work is carried out to netter connect the railway station with the Mumbai Metro Blue Line 1 in Ghatkopar. Pics/Rajendra B Aklekar

The integration of Ghatkopar railway station with the Metro Blue Line station finally started on Thursday. With the demolition of the ticket booking counter meant for railways, the Blue Line team started to dismantle structures for seamless interconnection. The work is expected to be completed soon.

A massive elevated deck and a foot overbridge are coming up at the south end of the station, and the former will be integrated with the concourse of the Metro station. After nearly seven years of follow-ups by this newspaper, the wide elevated deck on the Mumbai Metro end of Ghatkopar station is taking shape. A Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation official told mid-day the deck would be ready by mid-April.

Status of work

Elevated deck (Platform 1 side)
>> 8 out of 15 foundations have been completed.
>> 4 columns and 5 girders are launched
12-metre-wide south FOB
>> Main foundation completed.
>> Main girders over three out of three spans have been launched
12-metre-wide north FOB
>> Two out of four foundations completed.
>> Work on the remaining two foundations is underway

Why deck matters

Ghatkopar station, where mega crowds from the Blue Line 1 merge and with CR suburban passengers, has for years been a case of infrastructure lagging behind. The new deck, now visibly coming up, promises to dramatically improve circulation space, pedestrian dispersal and safety at the Metro end.