Kopar railway station, a crucial junction between Diva and Dombivli on the Central Railway network, continues to languish in neglect, leaving daily commuters grappling with inadequate facilities and incomplete infrastructure.
Toilets not replaced
Once equipped with toilets at the Diva-end of the main line, the station lost these basic amenities when a foot overbridge was constructed. Since then, there has been no functional toilet facility at the station.
East-side ticket counter at the Diva-end foot overbridge, built over a year ago, remains unopened and non-operational. Pic/Shrikant Khuperkar
On the upper platforms (3 and 4), which serve Diva–Vasai trains, a toilet exists at the Bhiwandi end of Platform 4. However, commuters say it is mostly unusable and frequently misused at night, raising safety concerns, particularly for women and senior citizens.
Dry taps, no drinking water
Water taps have been installed on both the main and upper platforms, but there`s no supply from the Kalyan-Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC). The taps have remained dry for months, leaving passengers without access to drinking water.
Ticket window not functional
While a ticket counter is operational at the Kalyan-end west side near the station master’s office, the east side remains without any functioning facility. A structure for a ticket counter was built over a year ago at the Diva-end foot overbridge, but remains unopened.
As a result, passengers entering from the east must cross over to the west to purchase tickets. If caught by ticket checkers en route, they are fined for travelling without a ticket, despite the lack of functional infrastructure.
When contacted, Central Railway PRO Pravin Patil said, “The Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is responsible for the pending work. Staff for the ticket window need access to the toilet and water facilities. Until that’s arranged, operations cannot begin.” He advised reaching out to MRVC for updates.
Escalator installation stalled
An escalator meant for the Kalyan-end west side of the main line has remained uninstalled for nearly a year, even though the equipment arrived over three years ago. The escalator motor is reportedly faulty, but the contractor has not submitted the required installation report. Without this, Central Railway cannot replace the motor or initiate cost recovery.
The delay particularly affects the elderly and physically challenged commuters who struggle without proper accessibility. When contacted, a local section in-charge said that the concerned official has been informed and an update will follow once available. Meanwhile, Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of MRVC, stated, “Currently, MRVC is not carrying out any active work at Kopar station.”
