In order to provide local train commuters with a double discharge facility, the Mumbai division of Central Railways (CR) is planning to widen platform 5 of the Dadar station.
With this double discharge facilities, the passengers can alight at both platform 4 and platform 5 giving a relief and ease in commuting. Therefore, it will help to decongest platform no 3 and 4.
Explaining further, officials stated that whenever trains arrive simultaneously on platforms 3 and 4, it leads to heavy congestion and there can be a stampede-like situation.
According to railway officials, when Kalyan-bound fast local trains from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) reach Dadar, commuters at present can alight only at platform 4 as there is a metal fencing between the track and platform 5. The railway also plans to remove the fencing enabling the double discharge of passengers.
The railway hopes that the move would help decongest platform 4, where several long-distance trains also halt when local train arrivals are not scheduled, said a CR official.
However, a final decision will be taken on the widening after the CR will do a thorough study of the site.
For this, the CR has begun a study on all aspects that are to be taken care of.
Platform 5 currently has a staircase leading to the foot-overbridge, a few stalls and other amenities. The officers are in the process of gauging whether these should be removed or could be shifted, informed the official.
The plan is part of the CR’s platform decongestion project being implemented in major stations like Thane, Kalyan and Dadar.
At present, there are six platforms handling suburban traffic at Dadar station. The platforms meant for fast trains also handle long-distance train.
It is pertinent to note that Dadar station has a daily footfall of almost 5 lakhs. It handles 226 fast trains, of which 50% are towards Kalyan. Apart from this, 25 long-distance trains operate from platform 4.
For those unversed, platforms 1 and 2 are island platforms, catering to slow services towards Kalyan. Platform 1 handles trains coming from CSMT and Parel, and platform 2 is the originating and terminating platform for Dadar trains.
Platforms 3 and 4 are also island platforms, with 3 handling slow CSMT and Parel locals. Platform 4 is where the Kalyan-bound fast trains halt. There is a gap of a few feet between the fast corridor tracks and platform 5, where long-distance trains and Dadar-terminating and originating fast services operate from.
Earlier, the CR had planned to shift some of the stalls and offices so that more space can be made available on platforms in these crowded stations.
Share
Tweet
