The Central Railway (CR) will develop additional 'home platforms' at Vidya Vihar, Nahur and Diva railway stations by August to allow passengers to board / deboard trains from both sides and ease congestion, especially during evening rush hours.
“These platforms will be 7-10 metre wide and 270 meter long. Work on each platform, including yard remodelling and creation of passenger amenities, will cost around Rs6 crore,” a CR official said, adding that these home platforms will give passengers direct access in and out of the station premises without having to use bridges.
According to an official, the idea is to decongest these stations and also other stations like Ghatkopar and Kurla (near Vidyavihar), Mulund and Bhandup (on either side of Nahur) and Kalwa near Diva. “We will now see what needs to be done in terms of space and other elements to implement the plan,” said the official. The daily average sale of tickets at these stations, as per the latest statistics is 21,534 (Diva), 6,244 (Nahur) and 8,526 (Vidyavihar).
Welcoming the decision, Vidya Vihar resident Rajesh Shahani said, “The Railways need to create home platforms at all stations. This will not only decongest the stations but also prove helpful in smooth dispersal of passengers.”
Meanwhile, Shailaja Shinde from Diva said, “Home platforms are a must, especially in Mumbai which has one of the busiest suburban railway networks in India. They will help with crowd management and also increase the comfort level of passengers.”
