December 13, 2025: After years of delays, revisions and stalled plans, the long-pending redevelopment of Mumbai’s Dadar station has finally moved into the execution stage. One of the busiest interchange hubs on the suburban network is set for a major overhaul, with new elevated decks aimed at streamlining passenger movement and reducing congestion.
The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC), working with Western Railway, has commenced construction of an elevated deck at Dadar’s Western Railway section. The project focuses on improving circulation across platforms, integrating existing foot overbridges (FOBs) and enhancing accessibility for the station’s massive daily footfall. Work will be carried out in two carefully planned phases.
Phase I involves the construction of an elevated deck measuring approximately 100 metres by 33 metres across Platforms 1, 2 and 3. This deck will connect the two FOBs at the northern, or Virar-end, of the station. The first phase will include four staircases, four escalators and two lifts to facilitate smoother passenger flow.
Once Phase I is completed, Phase II will see the construction of a narrower elevated deck above Platform 1, measuring about 100 metres by 15 metres. This section will feature two staircases, two escalators and one lift.
When both phases are complete, the decks will interlink four northern FOBs at Dadar, creating a seamless circulation system across platforms. The integrated design is expected to significantly improve accessibility, particularly for senior citizens and passengers with reduced mobility. Given the station’s intense footfall, construction is being executed in a staggered manner to ensure safety and minimal disruption to train operations.
“Dadar is among the busiest stations on the Western Railway suburban network. The elevated deck is being constructed in phases with meticulous planning to balance execution speed, commuter safety and uninterrupted rail operations,” said Sunil G Udasi, chief spokesperson of MRVC. “Once completed, this integrated deck will ease passenger movement, reduce congestion on existing FOBs and improve the overall experience.”
Dadar handles a combined daily footfall of five to six lakh passengers from the Western and Central Railway networks, making phased execution essential.
Commuters have reacted with cautious optimism. “I’m happy the authorities are finally taking this station seriously. Let’s hope the timelines don’t stretch endlessly,” said Karan Nagraj Patil. Another commuter activist, Subhash HG, remarked, “The work should have started earlier, but better late than never.”
Source: Mid-day
