The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) has begun the process of appointing a consultant to prepare a comprehensive plan for seamless multimodal integration across railway stations in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).

The study is intended to speed up and simplify interchange between suburban trains and Metro services for seven to eight million (mn) commuters who use the suburban railway network each day. The plan will focus on operational and passenger experience measures rather than line construction.

Key proposals in the brief include improved pedestrian connectivity through foot over bridges (FOBs), skywalks, subways and expanded concourses to shorten walking distances and reduce crowding at entry and exit points. The consultant will be asked to examine station layouts, platform alignment, integrated ticketing corridors and seamless transfer pathways that connect suburban platforms with Metro concourses.

Attention will be given to wayfinding, real time passenger information systems and coordinated timetabling to ease peak movements. The study will assess accessibility measures to ensure barrier free movement for elderly passengers and those with reduced mobility, including ramps, lifts and tactile guidance surfaces. Safety interventions will range from improved lighting and CCTV coverage to emergency evacuation planning and dedicated crowd management zones.

The consultant is expected to produce a phased implementation roadmap with cost estimates and prioritised interventions to be coordinated with municipal authorities, Indian Railways and Metro operators. The plan is intended to reduce transfer times, improve commuter safety and increase the attractiveness of public transport as a whole. Successful integration is likely to contribute to more sustainable urban mobility across the MMR over the long term.