04 April,2017 09:02 PM IST | | Shashank Rao
Commuters to feel the pinch as slow services at Jogeshwari station on Western line to stop temporarily for Andheri-Goregaon Harbour line extension
Commuters will have to gear up for major disruption in train services on the Western Railway as rail authorities are temporarily shutting down the slow line at Jogeshwari station to extend the Andheri-Goregaon Harbour line. The Rs. 103 crore-line was expected to be ready by March 31.
Trains affected
The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation, which is heading the project, had sent a proposal to WR, stating that it would have to demolish platform 1 to carry out the extension. Sources said this would require them to temporarily shut down the services on the slow lines at the station. Officials claimed that this block would be enforced for 10-15 days.
During these days, no trains plying between Churchgate and Virar will halt on the slow line. There are 1,323 services plying on the WR, of which over 476 stop at the slow line of Jogeshwari station.
Semi-fast Churchgate-Borivli trains will continue to stop at platforms 3 and 4.
Jogeshwari station sees over 40,000 people everyday. The new Ram Mandir station, which is between Jogeshwari and Goregaon stations, is expected to play a pivotal role in diverting traffic.
Massive work ahead
As per the plans to extend the Harbour line, railway authorities will shift the alignment of the slow lines towards the west, as well as put in two additional tracks for the Harbour line.
Authorities will also widen platforms 2 and 3, shared by commuters heading for Borivli and Churchgate.
Over the past few weeks, railway authorities have demolished parts of platform 1, dug up the area where the rail lines will come up and cordoned it off with metal sheets, leaving little space for commuters to walk after alighting. Once the new lines are ready, trains from Panvel or Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus can go all the way up to Goregaon and later up to Borivli.
Authorities, however, are still waiting for the Western Railway to give them the final dates to carry out the work.
"We are waiting for Western Railway officials to give us a schedule for the mega block at Jogeshwari. Depending on that, we will be able to complete the Andheri-Goregaon Harbour line," said Prabhat Ranjan, chief public relations officer for MRVC.
