The proposed station is expected to reduce crowding on one of Mumbai’s busiest railway routes and improve connectivity for people travelling from areas such as Ghodbunder Road, Pokhran Road, Wagle Estate and nearby locations.
Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw informed Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis about the approval through an official letter. After the announcement, the Chief Minister said the project would help make transport in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region faster and more convenient.
According to official estimates, once the new station becomes operational, passenger crowding at Thane station could reduce by nearly 31 percent, while Mulund station may see around 24 percent less crowd.
At present, more than six lakh passengers use Thane railway station every day, making it one of the busiest stations on the Central Railway network.
The proposal for the station was first discussed in 2019 to support the rapidly growing population in Thane and surrounding areas.
The project will be developed by Central Railway, while funding support will come from Thane Smart City Limited. Railway authorities will handle track, platform and core rail infrastructure work, while the surrounding circulation area will be developed by the smart city body.
The station will also include facilities such as vehicle parking, bus terminals and passenger decks to improve travel convenience.
Initially, the project cost was estimated at around Rs 120 crore. However, the budget has now increased to more than Rs 245 crore.
The station is planned on nearly 14.83 acres of land that originally belonged to the Thane Mental Hospital. The land was transferred to the railway authorities in 2023 after approval from the Bombay High Court.
Officials said the project remained delayed for a long time due to funding issues faced by Thane Smart City Limited. Later, financial support was sought from the Railway Ministry to move the project forward.
After receiving preliminary approval, Central Railway will now prepare a detailed project report before final construction clearance is granted.
Earlier this year, the Thane Municipal Corporation passed a proposal to name the upcoming station Anand Dighe Station in memory of the late Shiv Sena leader Anand Dighe.
read more at mumbaipune.co.in
