Turbhe Station | Navi Mumbai

As part of CIDCO's (City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra) vision to establish a modernistic image of Navi Mumbai, they commissioned some of Mumbai's renowned architects to design its railway stations. The station at Turbhe was awarded to Architect Hafeez Contractor and one of his principal design objectives was to ensure a railway station that would become a “New Civic Symbol”. Another intent that inspired the design was the fact that railway stations are gateways into a city. So, the crucial element of a gigantic arch roof was conceptualised to symbolise an entryway into the city. Turbhe, by virtue of its location at the crossroads of the Sion-Panvel and the Thane-Belapur highways and its close proximity to the MIDC industrial area and the agricultural market in Vashi, becomes one of the significant railway stations on the Thane- Dharave line. The Turbhe station also caters to 4 tracks on both the Thane-Vashi-Uran and the Kalwa-Dharave corridors and serves the populace in and around Turbhe and Sanpada. The station occupies a total length of 85 m x 240m across the five platforms and the tracks.

The station spread over 15,000 sq m has a parking capacity for 175 cars and 250 bikes. The main parking area is at the northern corner of the site as a multi-level car park. Three subways – two for the commuters and one for the general public is planned to discharge the crowd onto a pedestrian promenade. Further, a pedestrian underpass is introduced at the northern end to cater to traffic from the MIDC area to the nodal side. The ticketing counters are positioned at the centre of the station for convenience. The station stands apart because of its massive 84-m roof with a semicircular shape. Aninnovative ribbed arch roof design spans across all platforms and its sheer size and magnitude makes an imposing assertion. Large strip skylights, integrated with the structural system, establish light-filled platform spaces. Finally, in terms of image, the station imposes itself as contemporary and progressive. The most visual manifestation of this ultra-modern language is the usage of contemporary materials. Australian Zincalume is used for the roof. The roof is distinctive becauseof the clips that have been used for fixing joints instead of drilling.