Suresh Prabhu promises redevelopment of 48 suburban railway stations

Mumbai: Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu said on Sunday that 48 stations will be redeveloped on the suburban network to provide better amenities to commuters. Prabhu, here to dedicate the 25 KV alternating current switch and introduction of 12-car services on Harbour line, said, “We will carry out the station redevelopment project with the state government’s help.”
The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) had drawn up plans to redevelop some stations but the project was put on hold as the railway board came up with a uniform policy for station redevelopment across India.However, the list of stations did not include any from Mumbai suburban, so the project was put on hold due to lack of clarity.
An MRVC official said, “These stations will require state government assistance in terms of floor space index (FSI), to make it commercially viable and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation and local civic bodies’ cooperation in Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) for a better traffic management plan outside stations.”
The redevelopment will include better land use to relocate stalls and booking offices outside platforms. The stations will be disabled-friendly and have clean toilets. Entry and exit points will be redesigned to ensure smooth dispersal of commuters, he added. A railway official said they were yet to finalise which stations will feature in the list.
Prabhu also said the railways plan to introduce superfast trains between Mumbai and Pune.
Central Railway’s general manager S K Sood said the foundation stone-laying ceremony for Parel Terminus and Panvel coaching complex will be held on Monday. Tenders for the Rs 53 crore Parel Terminus, aimed at decongesting Dadar, have been awarded and work is likely to be completed in two years.
Sood said the Mail/Express and suburban corridors will be segregated after commissioning the fifth and sixth lines on CR. All platform designs, he said, will be similar to Metro platforms, eliminating the gap between platforms and footboards of trains. He also said all Harbour services will be 12-car in a month.