October 13, 2025: Nearly three decades after Navi Mumbai’s suburban rail corridor became operational, the Central Railway (CR) and the City and Industrial Development Corporation (CIDCO) are locked in discussions over who will take responsibility for the upkeep of railway stations and infrastructure along the Vashi–Panvel stretch of the Harbour line.
Currently, CIDCO maintains the stations beyond Vashi but has expressed its intention to hand over maintenance responsibilities to the CR. However, CR has insisted that CIDCO first complete the necessary repairs before the formal transfer. “The station premises include buildings built over the platforms and the passenger area, which are already 20–25 years old and need the necessary upkeep and repairs. We have asked CIDCO to carry them out before handing the stations over,” said a CR official.
The Harbour line, constructed in the early 1990s, caters to nearly 1.2–1.4 million commuters daily, with a large share traveling from Navi Mumbai. Stations such as Belapur, Kharghar, Juinagar, and Sanpada on the Harbour line, along with Ghansoli, Airoli, and Rabale on the Trans-Harbour route, form a vital commuter network.
Commuters have raised concerns about deteriorating station conditions, pointing to broken tiles, poorly lit subways, and insufficient amenities. “There is a need to construct toilets closer to the station premises. Regular cleanliness is also an issue,” said Pankaj Benvanshi, a Belapur resident.
CR officials noted that many of these stations also house commercial buildings that once served as Navi Mumbai’s early business hubs. Since these developments generated revenue for CIDCO, the handover to CR was delayed for years. “Now, 25 years later, these buildings are being handed over. So we have asked them (CIDCO) to form a joint team which will carry out a thorough structural inspection,” another CR official said.
CR also stated that it continues to pay CIDCO a monthly surcharge of around ₹5 crore, collected through Harbour and Trans-Harbour line ticket sales, to offset historical infrastructure costs.
Source: Hindustan Times
