Western Railway has initiated the tender process for the new coaching terminal near Vasai Road station in Maharashtra’s Palghar district, following its approval in March 2025. The tender is expected to be issued by September, paving the way for construction on this key infrastructure upgrade for Mumbai’s northern suburbs.

The Vasai Road Coaching Terminal is planned as a dedicated facility to improve southbound connectivity from Vasai Road and enhance MEMU/EMU services between Vasai Road and Panvel. It will be built on the eastern side of the existing yard, using 4.5 hectares of railway land.

“In order to run more trains from the Mumbai area, Western Railway is undertaking multiple infrastructure augmentation and capacity enhancement works. New terminals such as Jogeshwari and Vasai Road are part of this plan,” said Vineet Abhishek, Chief Public Relations Officer, Western Railway. “In the first phase, a three-line, two-platform island terminal is planned.”

Targeted for completion within two years of construction, the facility will handle about 12 passenger trains per day in each direction, significantly expanding capacity. No freight operations are planned. The terminal’s strategic location will allow greater flexibility in accommodating trains, and in times of disruption, such as during the monsoon, it will help manage services usually routed to Bandra Terminus and Mumbai Central. Its proximity to major roads and a road over bridge will further aid passenger access.

The terminus will span a route length of 1.8 km with a total track length of 5.1 km. The project cost is estimated at Rs 1.62 billion, with Rs 1.50 billion sanctioned. Civil works account for Rs 1.09 billion, while allocations also cover electrical (Rs 62.7 million for general works and Rs 88.7 million for traction distribution), mechanical (Rs 33.4 million), and signalling (Rs 232 million).

The project has a Financial Internal Rate of Return (FIRR) of 16.38 per cent, with a maximum permissible speed of 30 kmph.