‘Give a halt at Kopar for far-off passengers’

Kopar upper-level station is used for passing trains from Delhi and further north to Goa and down south using Konkan Railway

A passengers' association in the city has demanded a two-minute halt at Kopar upper-level station, for long-distance passing trains, saying it would help people living in far-off places, beyond Kalyan. The stop can be used as an excellent passenger point for trains passing Mumbai and connecting north and south India, without entering the city, said the BJP-led Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh in a memorandum handed over to CR general manager on Thursday.

"Kopar station at the upper level is between Diva and Dombivli stations. The ground-level station is for suburban trains and the upper-level station is for passing trains from Delhi and further north to Goa and down south using Konkan Railway. The only major halts on the line at present are Vasai and Panvel. If a two-minute halt is given at Kopar, it would immensely help the passengers here," stated Siddhesh Desai, general secretary of Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, in the memorandum. "This would enable commuters staying at far-off places, beyond Kalyan, like Ambernath and Titwala, to connect with these trains in an easier and faster way," he added.

A new station

The memorandum has also proposed a new station, called Parsik, between Kalwa and Mumbra stations to relieve load on Thane station. Another key demand was to expedite work on two new suburban stations -- Chikhloli between Ambernath and Badlapur, and Guravali between Titwala and Khardi.

Women safety

"The complete memorandum has raised various demands and another most important one I think is about women safety. The low availability of security staff can be filled up by home guards to maintain discipline and even social distancing. We have proposed a unified security force for railways by proper amendments to the constitution to reduce commuter problems," he said. "Another big issue is to provide immediate relief to injured commuters in case of accidents in that crucial golden hour. It will bring down the death figures," Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh-BJP president Madhu Kotian said.

Kotian also called for additional tracks between Kalyan, Kasara and Karjat, and additional halts for Konkan Railway trains at Diva. The memorandum sought a ring route from Karjat-Panvel-Kalyan-Karjat, and also asked for the renaming of Mumbra station to Mumbradevi, after the local goddess. Central Railway General Manager Anil Kumar Lahoti met the delegation and assured them that the railways would study the demands.

2 minute
Duration of halt demanded