New Jogeshwari terminus to be operational this year

MUMBAI: The new rail terminus at Jogeshwari, between Ram Mandir and Jogeshwari stations on the east, is expected to be operational in the next six months. It is located close to a former cement warehouse that used to be operated by the railways. WR officials said the new terminus, which cost around ₹69 crore and has been under construction for two nearly two years, will considerably ease burden on existing terminuses at Dadar, Bandra, and Mumbai Central by increasing train services.

Senior officials from Western Railway (WR) said they asked the contractors to finish the works soon and set a 70-75% completion target by March end.

Some key construction milestones achieved so far include completion of a labour shed, with work ongoing on the cover shed, service building, platform, and station building. Currently work has begin in laying down of tracks.

“The work on Jogeshwari Terminus is moving at a good pace and the island platforms are almost ready. We are hopeful that major portion of civil works will complete by summer. One can see the island platform and other allied works progressing well,” said a senior official from Western Railway.

An island platform enables trains to arrive on tracks laid on either side, thus saving space. According to WR, the island platform in the Jogeshwari terminus is 600m long, 12m wide, and designed for 24-coach trains. The terminus also includes two berthing lines and a Power Run Down line for shunting movement of trains. Watering facility for coaches will also be available here.

Subhash Gupta, president of Railway Passenger Association, appreciated the construction but raised concerns about train schedules.

“It is a welcome step to have another terminus in Mumbai that would benefit citizens from western and eastern suburbs. But what if two trains are scheduled to arrive and depart around the same time? It can cause problems to passengers with luggage due to crowding.”