Mumbai: Building of new platform begins at Diva, Vidyavihar

A new platform is being constructed at Diva station in order to reduce crowding

In line with efforts to decongest the city's ever-crowded stations, Central Railway (CR) has begun work on adding one more platform to Diva and Vidyavihar stations. CR also plans to build an additional platform at Nahur station this year. The addition would not only give a home platform to each station but also create a double-discharge facility for local train commuters who would be able to board and alight from both sides of the train, decongesting existing narrow platforms.

As per the latest statistics, on an average, the number of tickets sold at Diva, Nahur and Vidyavihar stations is 21,534, 6,244 and 8,526 respectively. "There is also a plan to set up a medical facility and a public toilet at Diva along with other upgrade works like installing an escalator, a new ticket office in the east and many other amenities," a senior railway official said. He added, "This is in addition to the road overbridge coming up at the station, which would avoid train detentions. Recently, the platform alignment had been changed to accommodate a fast train halt at the station."

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"At Vidyavihar, due to the construction of a road overbridge, a lot of things have changed at the station, with the eastside footover bridge escalators and other amenities being removed. The idea is to have a double-discharge platform at Vidyavihar so that crowds on platform one are divided equally; and once the work of the bridge is over, there will be further decongestion," he added. While Diva station was originally opened around 1877, Vidyavihar station came up on August 16, 1961.