September 25, 2025: Commuters on the Seawoods Darave–Belapur–Uran corridor are set to benefit from enhanced connectivity, as Central Railway is preparing to add 20 additional local train services from October. The move is expected to coincide with the proposed inauguration of the Navi Mumbai International Airport (NMIA).
The expansion will see the introduction of 10 up and 10 down services, which will be incorporated into the new timetable from October. With this addition, the total number of services operating on the Uran line will increase from 40 to 60.
At present, trains along this route run at intervals of one hour during peak periods and 90 minutes during off-peak hours. This relatively sparse frequency is due to comparatively lower passenger numbers than those witnessed on the main, harbour and trans-harbour lines. However, with the imminent opening of NMIA and the recent completion of Targhar railway station located close to the airport, passenger demand on the Uran route is anticipated to grow significantly.
Daily ridership data underscores Belapur as the busiest station on the line, catering to approximately 1.35 lakh passengers. Nerul follows with nearly 93,731 commuters, while Seawoods Darave records an average of 52,016 passengers daily. Further down the corridor, Bamandongri handles 19,867 travellers, Kharkopar 12,684, Nhava Sheva 4,067, and Dronagiri 2,103, with Uran itself accounting for the remaining traffic.
Railway officials expect that the addition of new services will ease congestion at major stations and improve travel convenience for daily commuters. The enhanced frequency is also likely to encourage greater reliance on suburban rail for airport access once operations at NMIA commence.
The move signals Central Railway’s efforts to proactively address the expected surge in demand and integrate suburban rail more closely with Navi Mumbai’s emerging infrastructure.
Source: Mid-day
