The scheme is a nationwide mission by the ministry of railways to modernise over 1,300 railway stations across India into vibrant, modern transport hubs. MUMBAI: It has been over three years since work on Amrit Bharat stations began and, yet, not a single suburban station on the Western Railway (WR) in Mumbai has been fully upgraded under this scheme, while the Central Railway (CR) has made much quicker progress.
However, at Marine Lines and Charni Road, visible improvements are largely limited to fresh paint on walls and new signboards.
“Leakage problems at Lower Parel and Prabhadevi stations remain unresolved, while the circulating area at Jogeshwari continues to be in poor condition,” said Mansoor Darvesh, president, Passenger and Traffic Relief Association.
WR officials, however, claim, at Malad, 92% of the work is complete. At Marine Lines, a new 12-metre-wide FOB is being constructed to improve passenger movement along with lifts and overall cosmetic upkeep through painting. Sources said it was to be completed last month but at least 20% of work is pending. Likewise at Prabhadevi, Lower Parel and Grant Road; the railway is proceeding slowly despite its deadline being mid-2027. A senior WR official said, “We have divided the facilities into 20-25 segments.
The tendering process takes time, and funds are being released gradually. Work on constructing a permanent platform instead of the temporary one on Platform 1 is delayed due to the slow progress in the extension of the Harbour line till Borivali,” said a WR official. Here, soft upgrades are underway along with an approved elevated booking office and deck. “Here, we are targeting completion by February next year, with facilities designed to be accessible to persons with disabilities. “At these sites, space is a major constraint. At Prabhadevi, there is a road on one side and a rail track on the other, leaving limited space for construction activities, movement of machinery and storage of materials. Moreover the presence of residential buildings has restricted work hours. Underground electrical and other utility cables have also slowed work, the authorities claim. These need to be properly identified, protected from damage and carefully handled. The Central Railway has seen faster progress. Major renovation work at five stations — Chinchpokli, Matunga, Parel, Wadala Road and Shahad — has been completed in the first phase.
The situation is similar at other locations,” said the WR official. Sources said water, electricity and gas pipelines also pass under the rail tracks and need to be handled with utmost care. Officials said work is also underway at Byculla, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Vikhroli, Kanjurmarg, Mumbra, Diva, Titwala, Igatpuri and Sandhurst Road.
