Two additional platforms at CST to be commissioned by August

Mumbai, June 18 (UNI) Two additional platforms at Mumbai's busy Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) will become functional from August this year.

A Central Railway spokesperson told UNI today that ''Platform no 17 and 18 are likely to be commissioned this August along with a new station building''.

The new platforms are being constructed to ease traffic and augment passengers amenities at the terminus, the CR official said.

CST is one of the busiest railway terminus in the country as it handles some 70,000 passengers and 72 long-distance trains every day, which arrive and depart from here.

In addition, the terminus also caters to 3 million suburban commuters every day through its 1255 local trains, which run on the Central and Harbour line.

As part of its efforts to ease congestion at the CST, Central Railway Authorities had initiated the project about a year ago, which envisaged construction of three new platforms and a new station building at the CST, in addition to the existing one at an estimated cost of Rs 90 crore.

While one of the three proposed platforms got functional in January this year, construction work on the remaining two is in the final stages.

The official said that the new station building will have adequate space for parking as it it could accomodate some 150-200 vehicles at any given time.

UNI