Andheri, one of the most important railway stations on Mumbai’s suburban train network, is set to get a dramatic overhaul if Indian Railways Stations Development Corporation (IRSDC) plans go through.
The station area of Andheri, measuring around 21,843 square metres is set to be redeveloped by IRSDC in several phases. Western Railway has approved the master plan and floor plans in May 2021. The proposal has now moved for in-principle approval higher up in the government.
Once approved, a Request for Qualification will be issued for redevelopment, planned to be executed on a DBFOT (Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer) basis. The overall area of redevelopment is 4.31 acres, of which 2.1 acres is for Phase 1 construction, and the rest is for the Phase 2 construction. The project cost for Phase 1 redevelopment is Rs. 218 crores.
No information was provided on the timeframe for approval or execution of the project.
Key Highlights of Andheri Station Redevelopment
- New Concourse on Andheri East side
- New Entry on Versova Marg to ease congestion at the current entrance
- Roof planned over suburban platforms to stop rainwater and direct sunlight
- 100% Divyang accessible
- Andheri be developed as a smart station with Building Management System and CCTVs
- Amenities for passengers and commercial development above the concourse
- Decks Integrated with Skywalks.
In a statement, S K Lohia, Managing Director of IRSDC said that in addition to Andheri, IRSDC will be redeveloping Dadar, Kalyan, Thakurli, Bandra, CSMT, Thane and Borivali stations in Mumbai. The work across these projects is at different stages and is expected to be completed within the stipulated time frame.
Andheri, serves two major railway lines: Harbour Line that runs towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus or Panvel, and the Western Line connecting Churchgate and Dahanu. The Versova – Andheri – Ghatkopar Metro Line Station is situated next to the station on the east side. Andheri is a major station for long-distance trains and handles approximately 4.2 lakh passengers per day.
It has nine platforms with platforms No. 8 and 9 dedicated for long-distance trains, while the remaining for suburban trains. The primary entry to the station is from the Andheri (West) side of the station, whereas the entrance on the east side is quite congested. Several FOBs connecting both sides of the station and one skywalk connecting G.K Gokhale Bridge ROB to Metro Station is provided for convenient passenger circulation.
As part of this agenda, work on the redevelopment of 123 stations is in progress. Out of this, IRSDC is working on 63 stations, and RLDA is working on 60 stations. As per current estimates, the total investment needed for the redevelopment of 123 stations along with real estate development is about Rs 50,000 crore.