Commuter Woes At Thane Station: Poorly Aligned New Escalators On Platforms 5 And 6 Prompt Calls For Additional Facilities

Thane: While the installation of newly constructed escalators on platforms 5 and 6 at Thane railway station was intended to ease passenger congestion, commuters traveling on 12-coach local trains from Mumbai are finding the facility largely inconvenient.

Also Watch:

Platforms 5 and 6 are among the busiest sections of Thane railway station, handling heavy commuter traffic during peak morning and evening hours as local trains head toward Dombivli, Kalyan, Kasara, and Karjat, alongside several long-distance trains. Because incoming passengers and those trying to board locals converge at the same time, navigating the platform—especially near the staircases and foot overbridges—often leads to heavy bottlenecks.

While the escalators are well-positioned for passengers alighting from 15-coach trains or trains arriving from the Kalyan, Karjat, and Kasara directions (where the rear coaches align closely with the escalator), the alignment poses a major challenge for 12-coach trains coming from Mumbai. These 12-car locals typically overshoot the escalator location by roughly three coaches, forcing commuters to walk an extra distance along the crowded platform just to access the escalator.

Passenger Perspectives

Commuters have voiced frustration over the current alignment and have called on railway authorities to optimize or expand escalator facilities:

"The newly installed escalator is certainly a welcome addition to passenger amenities. However, the escalator located near the rear foot overbridge is not fully beneficial for all commuters in its current setup. The railway administration should install additional escalators in the station, which would greatly benefit senior citizens and women in particular."Rohidas Rane, Commuter

"We are glad the railways are investing in modern infrastructure, but if a 12-coach local from Mumbai stops three coaches away from the escalator, elderly passengers and daily office-goers still have to navigate a sea of people just to reach it. Better coach alignment or an additional escalator further down the platform is urgently needed." Prakash Joshi, Regular Commuter

"During peak hours, getting down from a crowded 12-car train and walking extra distance against the rushing crowd defeats the purpose of having an escalator. The authorities need to look into this design gap to make it truly accessible for everyone."Sneha Patil, Daily Passenger

Call for Action

Daily travelers and local passenger associations are urging railway authorities to evaluate platform dynamics during peak hours. Commuters hope that installing additional escalators or adjusting train stopping markers will resolve the mismatch, ensuring that passengers across all coach configurations can seamlessly access the station's amenities.