January 8, 2026: After nearly seven years of sustained follow-ups by mid-day, the long-pending elevated deck at the Mumbai Metro-end of Ghatkopar railway station is finally becoming a reality. The development marks a crucial milestone for one of Mumbai’s most congested transport interchanges, where Metro Line 1 passengers funnel directly into Central Railway’s suburban network.
Ghatkopar station has long struggled with infrastructure that failed to keep pace with surging footfalls after the Metro became operational. The elevated deck is expected to significantly improve circulation space, pedestrian dispersal and commuter safety, especially at the Metro-end, which remains the station’s most severe choke point.
During a visit on Wednesday, mid-day found that the placement of all girders across the tracks had already been completed. Flooring work on the new wide bridge is currently underway at the CSMT-end, adjacent to the BMC skywalk that connects to the Metro station. At the Kalyan-end near Jhunjhunwala College, girders have been positioned externally, the gang hut has been dismantled, and piling work for foundations has commenced.
So far, eight of the 15 foundations have been completed. The elevated deck, spanning approximately 1,800 sq metres across Phase 1 and Phase 2, is designed to address the intense crowding that has defined the station for years.
“Ghatkopar is not just crowded, it’s chaotic during peak hours. You barely get space to stop and check directions. With the deck, at least people can spread out instead of colliding head-on,” said Chaitanya Raut, a student of Jhunjhunwala College.
“This should have been built before the Metro opened. But at least now something real is finally happening,” said office-goer Monalkumar Upahdyaya, adding that while barricades have caused temporary inconvenience, efforts are being made to minimise restrictions.
“Ghatkopar always felt like a station operating at double its designed capacity. Metro crowds would spill straight into railway passengers with no buffer in place,” noted Rishi Talreja, a software executive.
The upgrade was triggered by a 2019 mid-day report highlighting safety risks, following which MRVC initiated a multi-point plan including new foot overbridges, an elevated deck and skywalks. While Phase 1 has been completed and opened, commuters continue to await seamless Metro-railway integration under Phase 2. MRVC officials have said work amid heavy footfall remains challenging, with overall completion targeted for 2025.
Source: Mid-day
