Mid-day impact: Bigger, wider Dadar platform to open in December

Work on widening the platform at Dadar is nearing completion

Work on the narrow Dadar station platform highlighted by mid-day is finally nearing completion and the area is expected to be thrown open to the public soon. The narrow platform, which the Dadar railway police had to monitor 24x7 to avoid any mishap, has been widened by 3.5 metres to now make it 10.5 metres.

Following a series of news reports by mid-day on how the railway police had been struggling to manage the crowd on platform number 1 and 2, Central Railway's Mumbai divisional railway manager (DRM) Rajneesh Goyal had promised not just widening of platform number 1, but also drawn up a master plan of the station to create more space for passengers, for other platforms, too.

Platform has been widened from 7 metres to 10.5 metres. PIC/RAJENDRA B. AKLEKAR

This newspaper had highlighted how the railway police had to deploy personnel to man the cramped platform, to avert any mishap and this has been done even while the suburban trains plied. The seven metres wide platform which earlier served for platforms 1 and 2 has now been widened by 3.5 metres by reclaiming space from the track along platform 2.

Platform number 1 and the erstwhile platform number 2 served train services in the direction of Kalyan. "The platform is now in place and now being levelled up. The base and filling work has been completed and levelling work in progress. The other side of the platform will be fenced and more passenger amenities like escalator and foot over-bridge landings will be provided for easier connectivity," a senior official said.

The official said that the estimated cost of the widening of platform number 1 is R1 crore. "The work has been planned to be completed in less than three months. It involved removal of crossovers and tracks, dismantling the overhead wire equipment and levelling the surface," he said.

As platform number 2 catered to the train services in the direction of Kalyan that originated from Dadar, Central Railway had to stop this service when the work of the widening started. The adjacent station of Parel has now replaced Dadar as a suburban terminus as trains services in the direction of Kalyan now originate from Parel.

Rs 1cr
Estimated cost of work

Rs 1cr
Cost for widening the platform