Western Railway has proposed a Rs 700 million capacity-augmentation plan to transform Dadar into a larger midtown railway terminus, a move aimed at accommodating more express services and reducing congestion at Mumbai Central. The project marks the most extensive remodelling of Dadar station in several decades.

According to railway officials, the proposal includes the addition of new rail lines, extension of platforms, comprehensive yard remodelling, and major upgrades to overhead equipment (OHE) and signalling systems. The redevelopment is designed to integrate Dadar station with the upcoming fifth and sixth lines, which are intended to segregate long-distance mail and express trains from suburban services.

At present, Dadar functions as a terminal for a limited number of platform-return express trains—services that arrive and depart from the same platform. The station currently has only two terminal lines, from which nine such platform-return trains are operated daily.

However, railway planners warned that the existing infrastructure is approaching saturation. With the sixth line project set to absorb one of the two terminal tracks, the remaining capacity will be insufficient to handle planned traffic growth. Western Railway is considering the introduction of at least eight additional platform-return express services in the coming years.

“With more platform-return services in the pipeline, the current layout would soon become unmanageable,” a senior Western Railway official said. “The proposed new Line No. 8 is critical to sustaining future operations and ensuring smoother handling of express traffic.”

Once implemented, the expansion is expected to significantly enhance Dadar’s role as a midtown terminus, improve operational flexibility, and help decongest Mumbai’s busy long-distance rail hubs.

News source: Mid-Day