New Delhi: Bharatiya Janta Party MLA Sanjay Upadhyay from Borivali has urged Union Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to expedite the redevelopment of Borivali Railway Station and introduce several commuter-centric measures aimed at improving suburban rail services across Mumbai’s western corridor.
In a letter submitted to the Railway Minister, Upadhyay highlighted that Borivali is among Mumbai’s busiest railway stations, handling nearly 4.5 lakh passengers every day. He noted that the station has already been approved for modernisation and redevelopment under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme and called for the process to be accelerated to meet growing commuter demands.
The MLA also raised several other key issues concerning Western Railway through separate representations. Foremost among them was the demand to increase the number of air-conditioned local train services between Borivali and Churchgate. He stated that the rising passenger load on the suburban network warrants a significant expansion of AC local services to provide commuters with a more comfortable travel experience.
Upadhyay further requested the replacement of existing MEMU services operating between Dahanu Road, Virar and Borivali with modern suburban local trains. He pointed out that the current MEMU trains are equipped with older rakes, often suffer from poor cleanliness, inadequate lighting and insufficient ventilation. To improve passenger comfort, he proposed the introduction of new-generation local trains featuring both AC and non-AC coaches.
The legislator also sought additional local train services between Borivali and Churchgate to ease congestion on one of Mumbai’s busiest suburban corridors.
Highlighting the growing economic and educational significance of Navi Mumbai, Upadhyay said that large numbers of traders, professionals and students from the western suburbs travel daily to destinations such as the APMC market and educational hubs in Navi Mumbai. At present, many commuters are forced to change trains multiple times during their journey. To address this inconvenience, he requested the introduction of AC and non-AC local services from Andheri to Belapur starting from 6 a.m., as well as direct Borivali–Belapur suburban services.
He also emphasised the need to expand passenger facilities and increase train capacity across the Western Railway suburban network in view of continuously rising commuter traffic.
Drawing attention to connectivity issues faced by residents of the western suburbs travelling to Kalyan, Upadhyay informed the Railway Minister that passengers currently have to travel via Dadar and change trains to reach Kalyan. To provide a direct and more convenient alternative, he proposed a new suburban rail service connecting Borivali and Kalyan via Vasai and Diva.
Upadhyay urged the Railway Ministry to take a positive view of these proposals and initiate action at the earliest so that millions of daily commuters can benefit from safer, more efficient and more convenient railway services.
The MLA also expressed gratitude to Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw for approving the installation of escalators at Vile Parle Railway Station, a demand he had raised during an earlier meeting with the minister.
