Indian Railways is preparing major redevelopment plans for busy stations including Borivali, Ambala Cantonment and Mangaluru Central, with a focus on reducing congestion and improving passenger movement.
The Ministry of Railways said Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw reviewed the master plan for these stations on 15 June during a meeting with senior railway officials.
Minister of State for Railways Ravneet Singh Bittu was also present at the meeting.
Vaishnaw directed officials to ensure that redevelopment work is carried out in a way that causes minimum inconvenience to passengers and does not disrupt regular train operations.
He also stressed the need to create future-ready station infrastructure while maintaining smooth day-to-day functioning.
The proposed redevelopment plans focus on adding new platforms, wider Foot Over Bridges, improved inter-platform connectivity, better entry and exit points, larger circulation areas, enhanced passenger amenities and better integration with other modes of transport.
For Borivali station in Mumbai, the Railways reviewed an integrated plan to improve passenger movement and expand capacity.
Borivali currently handles around 191 long-distance train services and nearly 1,200 suburban train services daily, serving about 3.65 lakh passengers every day.
The redevelopment plan includes one additional platform, expanded concourse areas, more lifts and escalators, improved foot overbridges, better skywalk connectivity, upgraded passenger circulation facilities and expanded parking infrastructure.
To ease congestion at Borivali, Kandivali station will also be developed parallelly through a comprehensive master plan.
Kandivali is located around 2 km from Borivali and has adequate railway land available for future development.
The plan is expected to help distribute passenger load, support future train operations and improve access to metro and road networks.
At Ambala Cantonment station, the redevelopment plan proposes two new full-length platforms and a new 12-metre-wide Foot Over Bridge.
The station currently serves 328 trains and handles more than 44,000 passengers daily.
Read also : Railways approves ₹341 crore Kavach projects for Ambala and Ahmedabad divisions, covering 1,409 route km
The Ambala plan also includes additional escalators and lifts, refurbishment of existing platforms, new platform sheds and surface parking facilities.
These upgrades are aimed at improving passenger movement, accessibility and operational capacity.
For Mangaluru Central station, the Railways has proposed two new full-length platforms, upgraded platform facilities and a new 6-metre-wide Foot Over Bridge. The station currently handles more than 28,000 passengers daily and serves around 50 trains.
The Mangaluru redevelopment plan also includes improved platform shelters and additional escalators and lifts to support smooth passenger movement, especially for senior citizens, Divyangjan passengers and passengers carrying luggage.
Vaishnaw also asked officials to consult Members of Parliament, Members of Legislative Assemblies, local bodies, state governments and other stakeholders during the next stages of planning.
Suggestions from local representatives and communities will be considered before finalising the redevelopment plans.
Officials said the redevelopment of Borivali, Ambala and Mangaluru stations will improve passenger experience, reduce congestion, enhance operational efficiency and create additional capacity for future growth.
The proposals will now be taken forward for detailed examination and stakeholder consultations before moving to the next stage of implementation.
Read also : Mumbai Metro Line 2B sees major milestone as 252-tonne steel span lifted over Central Railway tracks
