CR experiment with closely monitored makeshift shelter comes to an end
The extended platform no. 5 at Thane station before the temporary roof was added
Thane station’s unique experiment with its platform roof is finally complete. Following an unprecedented widening of station platform no. 5 around June 2024, the Central Railway (CR) built a makeshift temporary roof extension to the platform using bamboo, canvas and plastic sheets having steel supports to shelter commuters from the monsoon.
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Six months after the experiment began, the temporary roof has been dismantled and work has started to build a regular roof over the platform, which should be ready before the monsoon sets in.
The temporary roof was added prior to the monsoon. File pics
Practically, there was no way to build a roof before the platform was extended as there were live overhead wires with 25 kV power supply for trains. The extension of the platform surface and shifting of overhead wire alignment was done in two days, creating space. However, the existing roof supports would not have been able to take the additional load of an extended roof.
The temporary structure for the roof cover was quickly erected and monitored very closely and has now served its purpose.
At Thane, platforms nos. 5 and 6 which catered to Up and Down fast suburban local trains and mail/express trains, used to get extremely crowded due to the passengers of long-distance trains standing with luggage, especially during local rush hours. Thane station, being a junction, also gets passengers from the trans-harbour Thane-Vashi/Panvel line, leading to more and more people pouring onto this island platform. The idea was to shift the existing tracks of island platform no. 5 to the west side and widen it wherever space was available. This was executed in a 63-hour block, with about 100-plus services being cancelled. The platform was widened between 2.5 m and 3 m, creating more circulating space on the platform.
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