In a major capacity-augmentation move, Western Railway has drawn up plans worth Rs 70 crore to expand Dadar station into a bigger midtown terminus, creating space for more express trains and easing pressure on Mumbai Central. The proposal includes new lines, extended platforms, yard rearrangement, and significant overhead equipment (OHE) and signalling upgrades, marking the most ambitious remodelling of Dadar in decades. The new plans will integrate the station with the fifth and sixth lines, which aim to segregate mail express and suburban trains.
Dadar already handles platform-return express trains — services that arrive and depart from the same platform. At present, the station has only two terminal lines, from which nine platform-return trains are operated daily. With the sixth line project absorbing one of these terminal tracks, railway planners say the system will soon hit a bottleneck. “With additional platform-return services planned — at least eight more — the existing arrangement would become unmanageable,” a senior WR official said. “The new Line No 8 is essential to sustain future traffic.”
The expansion plan
The brand new Line No. 8 will be added along the eastern flank of Platform 7, complete with full OHE installation, signalling integration, and crossovers linking the new line with the stabling lines. This additional line will be the backbone of the future platform-return operations. In addition to this, Line No. 6 will be extended towards the Dadar Junction Loop (Line No. 4), providing a new shunt signal, upgraded OHE and crossover connectivity between Lines 5 and 6, allowing better flexibility for routing express trains during peak congestion.
Structural modifications
To make way for the expanded yard, part of a railway colony quarters block will be dismantled and rebuilt, and the southernmost foot overbridge (FOB) will lose one landing, which will be reconstructed in a new alignment. Additionally, the Passenger Reservation System office will be shifted, while the yard master’s office will be moved slightly eastward. Officials say these interventions will unlock critical space for smooth yard geometry.
Why Dadar matters
Dadar’s role as a strategic midtown dispersal point for long-distance trains is set to grow as Mumbai Central faces saturation. With new corridors and future long-distance redistribution being planned, Dadar is being positioned as a secondary terminal for select express services.
Voices
Shailesh Goyal, Former member, National Railway Users Consultative Committee
‘If an additional line and platform is built, Dadar station can be used as an intermediate small terminal. Due to it being junction for WR and CR, this new line on the WR side can also connect with the CR main line, and WR can run trains for CR.’
Rajiv Singal, Member, Western Railway Mumbai’s Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee
‘The move will help people on the Central Railway side who otherwise need to travel to Bandra or Mumbai Central to catch mail/express trains.’
Benefits on completion
>> Capacity to handle 17 platform-return express movements
>> Improved yard fluidity
>> Reduced conflicts with suburban trains
>> Potential future terminal-grade operations
