THANE: The long-awaited suburban railway station project between Thane and Mulund received a significant boost on Wednesday when railway minister Ashwini Vaishnav approved the allocation of Rs 185 crore funds for constructing platforms, laying tracks, and other essential components of the facility, Thane municipal officials said.

The announcement came after a delegation comprising Shiv Sena MPs from Thane and Kalyan, Naresh Mhaske, Dr Shrikant Shinde, respectively, along with Thane municipal commissioner Saurabh Rao, met with Vaishnav at Rail Bhavan in New Delhi.
The total cost of the project is Rs 264 crore, of which Rs 185 crore has been earmarked for developing the operational area, including the construction of the administration building, laying of tracks, and platforms. This cost, which was initially to be borne by the Thane Municipal Corporation under its smart city initiative, will now be shouldered by the railway ministry.
This decision is expected to alleviate the financial burden on the already cash-strapped municipal body and prevent potential project delays, sources indicated.
However, the TMC will still be responsible for funding the development of the circulating area outside the station premises, such as roads, elevated roads connecting the highways, parking bays, and bus stations, among other amenities.
The project, which commenced in 2019, has witnessed approximately 30% progress thus far, and is now slated for completion by Dec 2025.
Once operational, the new station is expected to significantly reduce the passenger load on the existing Thane station, as a majority of commuters from nearby Mulund and Ghodbunder areas in Thane will likely prefer to utilise the new facility.