Western Railway (WR) is set to begin a critical three-month upgrade at Virar station to accommodate 15-car trains on the 60-km Virar-Dahanu corridor, significantly easing congestion on this crowded suburban stretch.

Starting Friday, WR and the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) will construct a new platform (5A) and widen existing platforms 3A and 4A to allow for longer trains. Platform 5A, located at the north-west end of the station, will be 5-6 mtrs. wide, enabling 15-car trains to run in both directions. “Given the heavy rush at Virar, these upgrades will offer substantial relief,” a railway official said. To support this, WR has requested five additional rakes from ICF, Chennai, to convert 12-car trains into 15-car locals. 

The upgrades will increase capacity by 25 percent, reduce peak-hour crowding, and enhance train frequency. A new station deck will improve crowd distribution. The changes are expected to be completed by March 2026.