Thane, one of Mumbai’s busiest suburban railway hubs, is set for a major upgrade as Central Railway gears up to extend platforms to accommodate 15-coach local trains by the end of 2025. The move aims to ease overcrowding for the more than five lakh passengers who commute through Thane station daily.
According to senior railway officials, platforms 2, 3, and 4 at Thane will undergo substantial expansion to handle longer suburban rakes. Platform 2 will be widened by 16.15 metres, while platforms 3 and 4 will be lengthened by nearly 40 metres. Once completed, these modifications will allow the operation of 15-coach trains instead of the existing 12-coach formations, easing rush-hour congestion and improving commuter comfort. Officials said the project was conceived to address long-standing complaints about overcrowding, particularly during morning and evening peak hours. Currently, thousands of passengers are forced to wait for multiple trains before managing to board. “The 15-coach configuration will increase carrying capacity by nearly 25 per cent, directly benefiting daily commuters on routes towards Mumbai, Karjat, and Kasara,” a Central Railway official said.
The upgrade will be executed using modular construction techniques, ensuring faster completion with minimal disruption to regular services. The project is also aligned with the Indian Railways’ broader suburban modernisation plan, which focuses on sustainable, high-capacity mobility solutions for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. This initiative follows the successful widening of Platform 5 in May 2024, where the width was increased from 10 metres to 13 metres. The pilot project demonstrated how space optimisation could improve passenger dispersal and safety. Rail officials said lessons learned from that phase are being applied to the new expansion for efficiency and cost control.
On the Western line, similar demands have been raised by commuter associations for 15-coach trains between Virar and Dahanu. Officials clarified that the section is nearing capacity limits but confirmed that the ongoing quadrupling of the 63-kilometre stretch will enable such services by 2025. The Thane project, when completed, is expected to bring substantial relief to suburban travellers. It forms part of the city’s larger push towards building a more sustainable and commuter-friendly public transport system. Experts noted that improving rail efficiency is vital for reducing car dependency and carbon emissions across Mumbai’s metropolitan region.
For Thanekars, the upgrade represents not just an infrastructural improvement but a long-awaited shift toward more inclusive, comfortable, and sustainable daily travel.
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