Army to build new foot-over bridge at Elphinstone Road station on a war-footing

Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman visited the Elphinstone Road railway station in Mumbai on Tuesday and announced that the Indian Army will be constructing the new foot-over bridge (FoB) at the station on a war footing.

The decision came just over a month after the stampede that killed 23 people on a FoB at the station.

According to media reports, the Railways have been offered help by the Indian Army to help construct the new foot-over-bridge between the Elphinstone Road station and the Parel station.

CM Fadnavis said that Bharatiya Janata Party Mumbai's President Ashish Shelar had proposed construction of the new FoB on a war-footing.

The Chief Minister also announced that the new FoBs at Elphinstone Road Station, Currey Road and Ambivali will be completed by January 31.

Defence Minister Sitharaman said that "I am grateful to the Army for understanding the situation and coming forward (to build the FoB)".

The Railway Minister said that the Railways had taken several decisions and had examined various stations on the Mumbai suburban railway, to enhance safety.

On September 29, a stampede had occurred on one of the FoBs at the Elphinstone Road station which connects Parel station. About 23 commuters lost their lives in the incident and over 50 were injured.

A five-member inquiry committee set up by the Indian Railway had blamed heavy rain, crowd and confusion for the stampede.