Mira Road (Pronunciation: [miɾaː]; station code: MIRA) is a passenger railway station located at Mira Road, a suburb in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai. It is situated between Borivali and Bhayandar stations on the Western line, of Mumbai Suburban Railway. The route of the station is located between the salt pan towards the western zone of the suburb leading towards Bhayandar.
Trains serve the station 22 hours a day every day; the headway between trains is 5 minutes during peak periods, with less than 10 mins service at other times.
Platform No(s). 1 and 3 are for Down bound Trains towards Bhayandar, Vasai Road and Virar while Platform No(s). 2 and 4 are for Up bound Trains towards Borivali, Andheri, Bandra, Dadar and Churchgate. Slow Trains use Platform No(s). 1 and 2 (with an exemption of Fast Trains originating from and terminating at Bhayandar, Vasai Road, Nallasopara and many Virar locals which also use the same platforms) while Platform No(s). 3 and 4 are used by Fast Trains originating from and terminating at Virar.
Mira Road station is also served by three bus services including BEST Transport, MBMT Transport and TMT Transport buses, serving the areas of Western Suburbs, Mumbai City District, Thane, Navi Mumbai and Mira Bhayandar. [3]
It is one of the crowded railway stations during peak hours on the Western Line of Mumbai Suburban Railways (Locals).
Development
In 2015, MMRDA authorities had implemented that Mira Road station will be developed along with other railway stations from the Central and Harbour lines of the Mumbai Suburban Railway with the installations of escalators, footover bridges and elevators.[4]
Platform No(s). 1 and 2 were used predominantly since the construction of the railway station. But Platform No(s). 3 and 4 were built as a part of the quadrupling project of the Virar-Borivali corridor to ease the congestion in this line but to this date, the latter is used more often for handling the express trains as compared to the suburban trains.
The skywalk is connected to all Foot-over Bridges (FOBs). New entrance area was constructed along areas for free flow of vehicles outside the new entrance area such as the Auto-rickshaw stand.
New round steel (anti-rust) platform sign-boards were installed by Western Railway on all the four platforms as there were complaints that the previous sign-boards were pointed and rusty. The old rusty platform sign-boards would hurt passengers while alighting from the trains during peak hours causing serious injuries as local train stations required areas for faster disposal of crowd.
The old ticketing counter at southern side of Platform No. 4 was dismantled to create pathway for the new ticket counter constructed behind it. Two escalators had been opened for public use at Platform No(s). 1 and 2/3 to the middle FOB (out of which escalator of P.F. 1 has shifted to Mahim Junction Railway station at Platform No. 1, as it would obstruct the way for construction of the deck on Platform No. 1) and new ticket counter near the southern end of Platform No. 4 had been inaugurated for ticketing. All platforms had been extended to handle 15-coach Locals. Wi-fi's had been installed on all platforms. Three escalators had been installed at Platform No(s). 1, 2/3 and 4 to the southern FOB (The escalator on Platform No. 1 has been relocated on the wide deck which is currently under construction between the first two bridges).
Shaheed Major Kaustubh Rane Smarak (Veerta Medal) was constructed. Construction of fountain besides Shaheed Major Kaustubh Rane Smarak (Veerta Medal) has been completed near the entrance of the station.
The entrance of southern staircase of the current north-most FOB had been closed and dismantled as it would obstruct the way for construction of the deck on Platform No. 1. A new staircase is opened for general public on the southern FOB towards the southern side of Platform No. 1 (The northern staircase has been disassembled). A new 65 metre long and 10 metre wide foot-over bridge between middle and north (current) FOBs has been commissioned by MRVC and opened for general public for crossing between Platform No(s). 1, 2/3 and 4. The connection of this FOB to the skywalk has not been yet established. Construction of 240 metre long and 10 metre wide deck which is currently under development, will connect the middle FOB with northernmost FOB above Platform No. 1. Widening of Platform No. 1 is under progress from 6 metres to 10 metres. The ticket counter at the northernmost FOB has been shifted to north side of Platform No. 4 (near the entrance opposite to the Station Bus Stop).
It was learnt that the MRVC is also planning to construct offices for Station Manager and other Railway staff along with 50 metre long and 23 metre wide FOB at the northern side ahead of the current six-metre wide north-most FOB and dismantling the latter. It also includes installation of additional five escalators and three elevators. It was also learnt that the MRVC is planning to construct two additional lines along with the existing four lines to separate suburban lines from express lines from Borivali till Virar (which involves the extension of the sixth line which was constructed between Goregaon and Khar Road till Borivali first, then further extension till Virar will take place) which includes acquisition of nearby land, clearing of forest areas, dismantling of former railway offices and buildings etc. This in turn, would ultimately help operating slow trains exclusively on slow corridor i.e. on Platform No(s). 1, 2, and fast trains on fast corridor i.e. on Platform No(s). 3, 4 only, a pattern similar to the Borivali-Churchgate corridor which would help resolve congestion in ridership between Borivali-Churchgate corridor.
According to a report by Mahesh Chemte published in Maharashtra Times, the additional lines will be constructed by using the western side of Mira-Bhayandar over the Salt pans which would ease the ongoing congestion at Mumbai Central, Dadar Terminus and Bandra Terminus by creating a new Terminus between the West side area of Vasai Road and Naigaon in case if need arises.
References
- ↑ Manthank Mehta (14 June 2015). "Western Railway commuter traffic grows the fastest in Nalasopara". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ↑ Manthank Mehta (4 January 2016). "Most WR trips started from Borivli, station earned nearly Rs 17L per day last yr". The Times of India. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ↑ Nikita Peer (26 May 2012). "Mira Road all set to become most sought-after residential destinations". The Economic Times. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
- ↑ Shashank Rao (27 February 2015). "A railway budget to bring Mumbai back on track". Mid-Day. Retrieved 3 March 2016.
