12 December,2020 08:27 AM IST | Mumbai | Rajendra B Aklekar
The cast iron railing and the bar fencing it has been replaced with. Pic/Western Railway archives
Rail fans, experts and heritage enthusiasts have criticised the Western Railway for replacing the colonial-era, cast iron century-old fencing at Charni Road station, with a modern and simple bar railing. Western Railway officials said it was done as it was a matter of public safety.
Heritage fans have appealed that the railways restore the remaining railing and not sell it as scrap as has been the practice. The old Charni Road fencing had been part of the erstwhile Bombay Baroda and Central India Railway now called the Western Railway. The original railing was one of the last key heritage items existing at the station, after the old wooden benches made way for steel ones a few years ago. "The old fencing stretched from Charni Road to Colaba and it was unfair of the railways to scrap such a beautiful railing. They should now retain the remaining parts of the railing, may be restore them," said heritage rail fan, Devraj Malekar.
"After the old strong-horse locomotives classes were retired, almost the entire stretch of old cast iron decorative railings are being unnecessarily removed and replaced by plain concrete walls or iron bars with no respect for heritage and history," added an angry actor, Khurshed J Lawyer. The cast iron railings still remain in parts at Marine Lines, Churchgate stations and at Colaba railway colony.
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Western Railway Chief Public Relations Officer Sumit Thakur rubbished the allegations that WR did not respect heritage and history. "The old fencing at Charni Road had to be removed for public safety. It had been worn out and could have collapsed and hurt commuters if not replaced with a new one. Further, maintenance and repairs of the cast iron fencing were not possible since it could not be welded. The old fencing has not been sold as scrap and is kept at the railway stores depot."
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