Mumbai: 2 weeks after CR GM’s visit, Kurla station still looking like a dump

Central Railway (CR) General Manager Ram Karan Yadav at Kurla station on February 8

Kurla suburban station remains a mess despite a special visit by Central Railway (CR) General Manager Ram Karan Yadav two weeks ago following a mid-day report. The station sees a footfall of over five lakh commuters every day, but navigating it remains a struggle. Zonal general managers of Railways are India's top bureaucrats and special secretary rank officers. But despite the visit of such a high-ranking official, not even the basics are in place, with debris lying around, overall squalor and no visible improvements at the station.

A visit by mid-day on Tuesday revealed that sacks of debris were dumped on several platforms and commuters continued to lack easy access to the east and west. It was difficult to walk on platforms 3-4 due to the presence of debris. Yadav had on February 8 conducted a special inspection of Kurla station, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and Kurla car shed. mid-day had highlighted in its January 29 report how commuters at Kurla had been upset that he had skipped the visit during his annual inspection.

Escalator parts lying on a platform

Debris lies all along the east side with the railway area not demarcated and secured while a staircase has been shut, creating chaos. Debris, unauthorised vehicles and hawkers have taken over the circulating area outside the ticket office, escalator and subway entry/exit. The skywalk to the east, approaching the level crossing gate that accesses LTT station, is full of encroachers and is rife with illicit activities that pose a threat to public safety.

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In the west, the entry/exit point towards the electric bike stand has been blocked by metal sheets. The main entry/exit of the station is also partially shut and riddled with hawkers. Ironically, both the east and west sides have manned Railway Protection Force (RPF) offices. Unused escalator parts have been lying on the west entry side for two years now. Defunct ATVM machines, sacks of debris and plastic bottle crushers lie occupying space on narrow platform 1A.

Commuters Speak

"In fact, two additional staircases have now been shut, one on the east exit and the other on platforms 5-6 after the visit. If railway officials do not respect their own bosses, it is impossible they will listen to commuters," said commuter Sujata Naik from Nehru Nagar.

"We thank Yadavji for visiting the station, but it is quite shocking that officials have not been implementing improvements at the station. It seems that there is no fear of authority. Earlier, a visit by the general manager would have resulted in the station being made spic and span," Anshul Gupta, another commuter, said. Railway officials said that Kurla station will be upgraded soon as it is already listed among the 553 Amrit Bharat stations marked for upgrade with a fund of '21.81 crore for which Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid a foundation stone on Monday.

Metal sheets at the entry/exit point towards the electric bike stand

"The works included under this are the repair of the existing booking office and the provision of a Divyang-friendly ticket window, replacing old roof sheets, repair of damaged platform surfacing, relocating interior space of station building for creating more public space and construction of a new main entry/exit gate on the east side," an official said.