How bullet train revived hope for new CR station

The proposed location of the Thane station of India's first High Speed Rail (HSR) bullet train corridor that passes through an isolated grassland near Diva and Kopar is expected to be a mega urban hub. Local residents are now seeking a local train station near the spot for seamless connectivity. The demand for the local station was made in 1985, but has now been revived.

On Friday, a team of Central Railway officials, accompanied by local leaders and passenger representatives, visited the area between Diva and Kopar stations near Mhatardi village.

The proposed Thane HSR station

As per the existing alignment of the bullet train corridor, the proposed route will begin at BKC, go underground till Thane, then on ground take a diversion on Diva-Vasai-Virar stretch and then join the Western Railway before entering Gujarat and terminating at Ahmedabad. The intention behind taking the route via Thane was to keep the future option open to link the corridor to Pune. Thane's depot (rail carshed) will be spread over an area of 60 hectares.

The bullet train corridor intersects the existing Central Railway line at a location near Mhatardi village between existing Diva and Kopar stations. The location of Thane HSR station of the bullet train corridor is also near this Central Railway alignment near Mhatardi village. "There was an old demand circa 1985 of villagers that a new station should be opened between Diva and Dombivli stations around Mhatardeshwar temple near Diva. But the CR opened up a station near Dombivli at Kopar in 2007.

While CR officials inspected the spot, a spokesperson denied plans for a station between Diva and Kopar

But now with the bullet train alignment and the Thane HSR station coming up here, the hope of villagers for a CR station here has rekindled. Following the revival of demand by local Member of Parliament Shrikant Shinde, for the new station here, a new team of CR officials surveyed the location last week," Diva Passenger Association President, advocate Adesh Bhagat said.

Residents said that with the bullet train Thane HSR station, the Thane depot and the new CR station under study, the location will be the next urban hub of Thane and Mumbai Metropolitan Region. The Central Railway spokesperson, however, said that there is no plan for a new station between Diva and Kopar as of now.

The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and Ministry of Railways jointly signed an MoU with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for ‘Station Area Development along Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail' (Project-SMART).

This includes the proposed Thane HSR station and surrounding areas. "It aims to enhance accessibility and convenience of commuters and other stakeholders and to promote economic activities in the vicinity of station areas," said an official of National High Speed Rail Corporation of India (NHSRCL).

60ha
Area of the proposed Thane depot