MUMBAI, Oct. 30 -- Western Railway (WR) has demolished 28 illegal huts on railway land near Ram Mandir station to clear the approach road and remove obstructions to the construction of the new Jogeshwari Terminus, a major long-distance rail facility expected to open its first phase by early 2027. The demolition drive was carried out on Tuesday on the eastern side of Ram Mandir station, one of the busy stations on the Western Line. The encroachments had occupied land required for connecting tracks, access to the proposed terminus and other passenger amenities. The operation was conducted under heavy police security, with 43 Railway Protection Force personnel, five city police personnel, railway department staff and 22 workers deployed by the contractor. A JCB machine was used to remove the structures. "The drive will facilitate the development of the Jogeshwari AT terminal. The encroachments were removed from railway premises on the eastern side of Ram Mandir station to clear the way for the project," a WR official said. The Rs.76.48-crore Jogeshwari Terminus is being developed as an additional long-distance rail hub for Mumbai, which currently has Mumbai Central, Dadar and Bandra termini on the Western Railway network. Its first phase, earlier scheduled to open by the end of 2026, is now expected to be operational by early 2027. The project has been redesigned to provide four platforms instead of the three originally planned. The platforms are also being widened from nine metres to 12 metres to accommodate passengers more comfortably and reduce crowding. The terminus is being designed to handle 24-coach long-distance trains and up to 24 pairs of mail and express trains a day....