History
A station by the name of "Andaru" existed on the first regular suburban service of the BB&CI Railway (precursor to Western Railway), when the service started between Bombay Backbay and Viraur on 12th April 1867. [9] By the year 1900, there were three Andheri locals plying from the terminus at Colaba each day. [10]
The suburban section of BB&CI Railway was electrified, and was opened from Colaba to Borivali on 5th January 1928. Governor of Bombay Sir Leslie Wilson travelled on board the first electric local from Mahalaxmi (where the ceremony was held), up to Andheri station. [11]
The through lines between Bandra and Andheri were electrified by 15th April 1953. Through lines between Andheri and Borivali were electrified in the coming years as well. In April 1955, a cantilever type covering was provided along the entirety of the 580 foot island platform of the station, costing Rs. 80,000. The station was also painted and the footover bridge was provided a covering. On Mahashivratri day in 1955, around 1 lakh pilgrims were present for visiting temples. The railways ran extra locals, and certain trains halting at Andheri were extended till Borivali. [12]
A new goods shed and platform was opened on 14th April 1957, built at a cost of Rs 75,000. The platform was intended to allow quicker loading-unloading operations, and the shed was to provide greater storage space. This was especially for cattle fodder, which had considerable traffic. Around the same period, an overbridge was provided at Andheri to stop accidents at the level crossing. [13]
Proposed expansion and re-development
The Harbour line of the Andheri station towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus and Panvel serves a total number of 55 trains per day, with 46 running to Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and 9 towards Panvel. [17] The extension between Andheri and Goregaon of the Harbour Line was completed and had started to operate in 2018. [18]
The station was renovated in early 2015 with the establishment of automated escalators and new Automated Ticket Vending Machines (ATVM) for the ease of booking tickets to the daily passengers. [19] [20] [21] According to the statistics of April 2014 to January 2015, the number of passengers using vending machines was 6,933, whereas in April 2015 to January 2016 it had 18,316 passengers. [22] Due to the increasing number of passengers travelling on the rooftop of the train coaches, Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) electrified the train coaches rooftops containing 25,000 volts. [2] [23]
The station has nine platforms, with platform number 1 and 2 serving the Harbour line. Further, the Harbour lines now serves a 12-coach train services. [24] In 2012, it was proposed by the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation that the Harbour line trains may get an extension of 12-coaches for the ease of passengers boarding daily from the Western lines. [24] However the MRVC announced that extension of some stations has been completed and the services may start from 2016. [25]
In February 2016, it was reported that the main road of the eastern zone of the station will be re-constructed in according for development of a long delayed elevated auto-rickshaw terminal. The Bombay High Court had ordered to evict the stalls blocking the road. Counsel Anil Sakhare had stated to the court that the stall vendors blocked the construction and infrastructure development and most of the vendors opposed the eviction notice given to them. [26] The work was originally started in 2011 and was to complete in December 2013 but as the corporation was unable to evict the stalls, the work was kept on hold. However, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation had removed the stalls from the road and the construction for the terminal had been started. [27] It has a two-lane terminal measuring the height of 60 metres (200 ft) and a width of 34 metres (112 ft) which connects the Andheri-Kurla road. [28] Under the second phase of MUTP, three escalators and 2 lifts will be installed. [29]
Traffic
Andheri is the busiest station on the Western Railway network. Over 99.6 million passengers' journeys originated at the station during the 2016–17 fiscal year. During the same period, the station sold ₹2.41 crore (US$290,000) worth of tickets (or 9% of all tickets sold on the Western Line) and 890,000 season passes, earning WR a total revenue of ₹59.50 crore (US$7.0 million). An average of 66,152 tickets and 2,441 season passes were sold at the station daily, and an average of 256,561 passengers began their journeys at Andheri per day contributing ₹1,632,994 (US$19,000) of average daily revenue. [3]
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