Title - Lokmanya Tilak Terminus to replace Dadar as outstation hub - The Times of India

Dadar will cease to be a station for long-distance trains in five or six years, by when Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) will be upgraded from five to 12 platforms to bear Dadar's load. At present, Dadar serves eight long-distance trains. "Platform lengths at Dadar cannot be increased because of space constraints, preventing us from running longer trains," said a Central Railway (CR) official. The Railway Board has accepted a proposal by CR to upgrade LTT, which "will bring facilities there on a par with that at the airport, though on a smaller scale", the official said. "It will have seamless connectivity with other modes of transport. There will be a mall, multi-storey parking, escalators, restaurants, food courts, better signage and indicators, budget hotels and an aesthetically pleasing exterior and interior.The project will be implemented on public-private partnership (PPP) at an estimated cost of Rs 5,000-6,000 crore. It will be executed by the Railway Land Development Authority by using 20 acres of land that CR possesses around LTT. Income will be generated by FSI sale and lease rent from the bid winner.

"A call for expression of interest for the project is likely to be issued within six months," said CR general manager Subodh Jain. Construction work is likely to begin in 18 months, by when the tendering process is expected to be over.

The railways aim to time the bidding process with the opening of the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR), which will improve east-west connectivity, providing quick access to LTT. "We are confident of receiving premium quotes in bids. After all, LTT is located in the heart of Mumbai," a CR official said.