Mumbai: Railway restores forgotten roof at Vikhroli station

The work on the roof on platforms 2 and 3 was expedited after mid-day’s report

Vikhroli commuters have been saved from getting drenched following a mid-day report on the station's missing roof at platforms 2 and 3. The Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) that had removed the roof to build a new footbridge had missed putting it back on. Commuters were forced to wait at the platform holding umbrellas.

Central Railway (CR) officials had said that the MRVC was involved in the project and that they were in the process of procuring sheets for the roof. This, despite the monsoon halfway through.

Meanwhile, commuters at the station had been struggling amid the monsoon. While preparations had been done for the work by July-end, placing of the actual roof had been pending.

Commuters are happy that they don't have to stand in the rain anymore

Following mid-day's July 30 report, work on the roof was expedited, sheets were procured and promptly put in place. Passenger associations across Mumbai have said that the MRVC has been known for lethargic work and for ignoring ground realities. "Usually, all functional railway units check monsoon preparedness before its onset. I do not know what happens at MRVC," a divisional railway users committee member said.

During a visit to the spot, mid-day found that the roof on platforms 2 and 3 was in place, though the wiring was yet to be fixed, despite the upcoming Sunday deadline. Some additional work was also going on at platform 1.

Mario Rodrigues, chairman, Bombay Catholic Sabha, Vikhroli said, "Public access to trains has begun and slowly passenger numbers will increase. It was high time the railways did things on their own. We thank mid-day for the report and for getting this done in time," he said.