Piyush Goyal visits Parel and Elphinstone Road stations, reviews FOB work

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal

Railway Minister Piyush Goyal today expressed satisfaction over the ongoing construction of a Foot Over Bridge (FOB) by the Army at the Elphinstone Road railway station in Central Mumbai. "The railway minister visited the site of the FOB being built between Parel and Elphinstone Road stations and reviewed the ongoing work.

He expressed his satisfaction with the pace with which the Army was executing the project," Central Railway Chief Spokesperson Sunil Udasi said. The Army was roped in for construction after a deadly stampede on an old FOB killed 23 commuters on September 29 last year.

Goyal had initially set the January 31 deadline for operating the FOB. However, some technical issues have delayed the work. Udasi said the major part of the FOB stood completed and can be opened for public in a few days. He said the minister discussed the nitty-gritty of the FOB today and gave necessary directions. Both General Managers of the Central Railway and Western Railway were present along with officials.

"Sh Piyush Goyal, Hon'ble Minister of Railways visited & reviewed the progress of construction of FOBs & other passenger amenities at Elphinstone Road & Lower Parel stations & issued necessary instructions in this regard," Western Railway tweeted.

Over a month after the stampede, Goyal, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitaraman and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis had announced that the Army will construct an FOB each at Elphinstone Road, Currey Road and Ambivli stations by January 31, 2018. Army officials had last month said the FOBs they were constructing at Elphinstone Road and Currey Road stations would be completed and made operational by the end of February while the FOB at Ambivli station will be commissioned by January 31.

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