Mumbai’s railway stations defy space crunch, add 147 acres of vertical space

MUMBAI: Just when it seemed Mumbai’s suburban railways stations were ready to buckle under the relentless tide of commuters, the railways have pulled off the unthinkable in this space-starved city. More than 6.43 lakh sq ft, or 147 acres, the equivalent of nearly six Azad Maidan grounds, is being added to suburban stations on both the Western and Central Railways, under the Station Improvement Project being executed by the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation. Elevated spaces will allow commuters to reach the platforms from any entry or exit point and reduce the pressure on FOBs The project, launched in February 2024 and costing an estimated ₹947 crore, is seeing the construction of massive elevated decks above railway platforms, which will not only improve railway infrastructure but decongest Mumbai’s notoriously overcrowded stations. The Station Improvement Project was launched after elevated decks were built at Andheri, Goregaon and Borivali stations on a trial basis. Meanwhile, MRVC will install more elevators and escalators at various stations on the suburban sections of both railways.. Up until 2023, MRVC had commissioned 15 elevators and 16 escalators across various suburban stations in Mumbai.