As many as 14 foot overbridges and 52 escalators to come up on Central Railway stations

Officials said that almost Rs 180 crore has been proposed for the bridges and escalators. In all, 214 more escalators are being planned on the CR, officials added. Express Photo by Nirmal Harindran

AS MANY as 14 new foot overbridges (FOBs) would be constructed and 52 escalators installed across the Central Railway (CR) stations by mid-2018, according to senior CR officials. They are expected to be completed within eight months of being sanctioned, officials said. The multi-disciplinary teams set up to identify places where additional bridges and escalators are needed had submitted its report last week.

Officials from the CR said that a proposal to construct 14 bridges and 52 escalators at identified locations has been already sent to the Railway Board. Dadar, Mulund, Ambivali, Titwala, Vasind, Atgaon, Kasara, Ulhasnagar and Tilak Nagar are among stations where additional bridges have been proposed, while four bridges at Kurla, Vidyavihar, Currey Road and Chinchpokali have been proposed for extension. These will be in addition to the 221 foot overbridges existing in the Mumbai division of the CR.

“The audit teams have identified these locations based on various factors that include the footfall at the stations and peak hour rush. We have sent the proposal of constructing these bridges and escalators to the Board. This will ensure early construction,” S K Jain, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the CR said.

Officials said that almost Rs 180 crore has been proposed for the bridges and escalators. In all, 214 more escalators are being planned on the CR, officials added.

“We have also felt the need to employ 251 external security personnel, in addition to the present staff of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police. They will be employees of the Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) and will manage crowds at railway stations,” Jain said. Jain added the railways has begun demarcating the area at a distance of 150 m outside stations to be declared as no-hawking zone. “The BMC has identified ward officers who would directly handle the issue of hawkers at stations. Commuters can also complain to RPF and station masters against hawkers.”