India, Dec. 5 -- Western Railway (WR) is set to begin a critical three-month upgrade at Virar that will pave the way for operating 15-car trains on the 60-km Virar-Dahanu corridor, a move expected to significantly ease the load on one of Mumbai's most crowded suburban stretches.

Starting Friday, WR and the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) will begin multiple civil works at Virar, including the construction of a new home platform, 5A, and the widening of existing platforms as part of what officials describe as one of the largest suburban expansion projects planned for the station.

Platform 5A, to be built on the north-west end of Virar station, will be around 5-6 metres wide and will allow 15-car trains to operate in both directions,...