Mumbai: Upgrade work at Charni Road puts commuter lives at risk

Remnants of the old bridge being removed, on Monday. Pics/Ashish Raje

Work on the landing of the new foot overbridge at the northern end of Charni Road is inconveniencing commuters as the structure cannot be accessed directly from the heavily used slow-line island platforms 2 and 3 at present. Lack of clear communication on the part of officials, meanwhile, is leaving commuters confused.

Railway officials have said there was no alternative for commuters due to the station's peculiar layout but said work would be completed in 45 days in a time-bound manner and promised to improve signage and communication.

A commuter crosses tracks at Charni Road station on Monday to avoid the bridge at the Churchgate-end

Sources said a staircase connecting platforms 2 and 3 to the new bridge could not be built as remnants of the old bridge, which is being demolished, and a signal cabin stand in the way. The work of removing the old structures and building a staircase to the new bridge will be completed soon.

When mid-day visited the station on Monday, the old bridge had been removed and the parts of the older staircase were being cut open. The only way to access the middle island platforms is via a bridge at the Churchgate-end, which is narrow and old. This has led to some commuters crossing the tracks and trespassing. High drama prevails at the site with RPF personnel standing by to discourage commuters from doing such things.

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Construction of the foot overbridge underway at Charni Road station, on Monday. Pic/Ashish Raje

"One realises only after one reaches the platform or the new bridge that the staircase at the Virar-end is missing. The problem is that there is no signage or any personnel at the spot to inform commuters about this," commuter Prashant Singh said.

Commuters said the bridge at the Churchgate-end has steel-plate flooring, is shaky and rattles badly as trains pass.

Train users Vignesh Sunder and Shilpa Nayak have slammed authorities over the lack of facilities at Charni Rd station

However, railway officials said that the bridge, which was built as a light-weight structure was perfectly safe and was regularly audited and inspected. "A new bridge connecting all platforms will come up soon at the centre of the station," an official said.

The station layout

The station had four bridges, one of which has been razed. Another, offers connects the east and west, leaving only two bridges at the station that link platforms. The one at the Virar-end lacks connectivity to platforms 2 and 3.

"The problem at the station is commuters on the island platforms 2 and 3 do not have access to the Virar-end bridge, leaving them stranded. The other bridge at Churchgate-end is very narrow. With just one bridge available, the situation at the station is chaotic during rush hours," a commuter, Rajiv Mashruwala, said.

Western Railway officials said that the closure of the bridge is a temporary measure. "The old foot overbridge at the north end of platform 2 and 3 of Charni Road station has been closed since October 5 in order to dismantle both spans of the existing foot overbridge and construct of a link connecting the newly constructed foot overbridge and the platforms in 45 days. It will be completed in a time-bound manner and we will look into how we can put up more signage and spread awareness," Western Railway chief public relations officer Sumit Thakur said.

‘Raising issues for past 7 years'

mid-day had been highlighting complaints from local residents and commuters after which the railways initiated work on the new upgraded bridge and skywalk.

Mumbai Guardian Minister Deepak Kesarkar, who visited Charni Road station last week, faced a lot of complaints from irate residents.

"We thank mid-day for highlighting the issue but the work has been very slow and needs to be expedited. More ticket windows need to be set up at the Churchgate-end, including on the skywalk. Does a political leader have to visit the station every time," asked local activist Gaurav Sagwekar of Amhi Girgaonkar, which has been spearheading the campaign.

"Our city's guardian minister came and went. Tomorrow someone else will come. This will continue but there is no solution.

Citizens are being looted in the form of taxation," Shilpa Nayak, secretary, Amhi Girgaonkar, added. Vignesh Sunder, a Girgaon resident said, "How many more politicians will visit the station? The Amhi Girgaonkar team has been raising its voice about infrastructure issues pertaining at the station for seven years but there has been no satisfying outcome."

03
No. of functional bridges at Charni Road station

5
Day in Oct when the station's old bridge was closed