September 27, 2025: The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is spearheading the ambitious quadrupling project, valued at Rs 3,578 crore, with a completion deadline of June 2027. Currently, 41% of the work has been completed, with track-laying in full swing. Once operational, the expanded network is expected to ease congestion, enable more train services, and strengthen connectivity across the region.
At present, there are only nine stations between Virar and Dahanu Road, including Palghar, Boisar, Vaitarna, and Saphale. Passenger traffic on this corridor is already intense—Virar alone handles over 5.8 lakh commuters daily, while Dahanu caters to more than 2.6 lakh. Even smaller stations such as Boisar report consistently heavy footfall.
To address rising demand, seven new stations—Wadhiv, Sartodi, Makunsar, Chintupada, Panchali, Wanjarwada, and BSES Colony—are being planned. Officials said engineering provisions for these halts are being integrated into the current works, with phased development to follow the completion of quadrupling.
“With industrial hubs like Palghar and Boisar expanding rapidly, alongside new residential clusters, the additional halts will ease passenger load and particularly benefit workers and students,” an MRVC spokesperson said.
The initiative is driven by the region’s growing population and the mounting demand for suburban stops. Commuter groups, however, remain cautiously optimistic. “We have been hearing about new stations for years, but progress has been slow. It must not end as another publicity exercise,” said Himanshu Vartak, a Palghar-based commuter activist.
If realised as planned, the project will significantly improve accessibility, support urban growth, and reduce travel times for thousands of daily passengers.
Source: Mid-day
