Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) is planning to connect Mumbai’s suburban train stations with the metro network. The integration will allow passengers to switch easily between suburban trains, metros, buses, monorails, and even pod taxis. This will shorten travel time, reduce road traffic, and improve daily travel convenience.
MMRDA has shortlisted 34 metro stations. This includes both operational and under-construction stations. They will be linked to 39 suburban railway stations on the Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) corridors.
The plan covers 14 stations on the Western Railway and 22 on the Central Railway. A new suburban station is also proposed near Thane. The upcoming pod taxi service at Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) and the monorail network will also be part of the plan.
The BKC pod taxi system will connect Kurla West and Bandra East stations, while the monorail station at Sant Gadge Maharaj Chowk will be linked to Mahalaxmi station on WR.
A committee with members from railways and state bodies has been formed to monitor progress. Its first meeting will be held later this month at Central Railway’s headquarters at CSMT. Discussions will include redesigning stations, managing passenger capacity, and avoiding mistakes seen in past interchange projects.
A detailed study will be conducted to measure passenger traffic, peak-hour movement, and the scale of facilities required. The goal is to prevent congestion at interchanges like the way it is in Ghatkopar and Andheri, where metro lines connect directly to railway foot over bridges without enough holding space.
The MMRDA is working with Indian Railways and other state agencies to implement this Multi Modal Integration (MMI) programme. Some work is already in progress. Ghatkopar is building two new concourses to handle more passengers during interchange.
Other upgrades include wider walkways, larger elevated decks, parking spaces for buses and cars, improved pedestrian crossings, clear signage, and smoother road junctions within 500 metres of stations.