Taking the Mumbai Metro? Pay up for using rail FOB

Commuters on the newly opened Metro railways are facing a strange new problem at Ghatkopar station - they now have to pay a fee to cross the foot over bridge (FOB) while exiting the station.

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Metro passengers will now have to buy an additional platform ticket just to leave the Metro station and reach the road. Pic/Sameer Markande

Daily passengers who want to come out from the Ghatkopar Metro station from the main gate have to now buy platform tickets before using the adjacent FOB. "We have seen the flow of passengers and we think that our local train passengers are facing a problem because of the sudden rush of Metro passengers. Therefore we are now insisting that Metro passengers buy tickets to use the railway-owned overbridge," said a Central Railway official. According to railway authorities, they had been planning a ticket window and Automatic Ticket Vending Machine (ATVM) near the FOB ever since the Metro services rolled out, but they could finally complete the work this week.

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In the initial couple of weeks, CR officials say they allowed Metro commuters to use their property as a goodwill gesture, but from now on, if they are caught using the FOB without a proper platform ticket or a railway pass, they will be penalised.

Speaking to sunday mid-day Subhash Gupta, President, Railway Pravasi Sangh, said, "I am aware of this issue and also took it up in the meeting with railway officials. The railway FOB here can't take the burden of thousands of additional Metro passengers. The rush has increased manifold after Metro services started."

Official speak
Narendra Patil, Chief PRO, Central Railway, said, "We have opened two new ticket windows and installed an ATVM for passengers near the FOB. If they want to use the railway FOB, they should buy tickets."