Inconvenience looms for Mumbaikars as stns undergo Amrit Bharat scheme overhaul

At a time when Mumbaikars are already dealing with dugup roads barricades pits and dust railway stations that were once clean and pitfree have now joined the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme ABSS bandwagon potentially inconveniencing commuters and raking up a huge expenditure While many of the upgrade and capacitybuilding works undertaken by Central Railway CR at the stations listed under the ABSS have been appreciated and helpful for passengers as they add value a number of unnecessary works such as removing and redoing perfectly fine tiles and covering plaques dating to 1921 have been a matter of concernWhat is the ABSSThe scheme is a ldquovisionary initiativerdquo brought to life under which 1309 railway stations across the nation will be revitalised and transformed into worldclass terminals with modern amenities breathing new life into travel hubs and enhancing the overall passenger experience so that even a common passenger experiences a comfortable convenient and enjoyable rail journey The scheme envisages the development of stations continuously with a longterm vision In this years budget Maharashtra has got a record allocation of Rs 15554 crore and 56 stations have been planned to be developed Of these 12 on CR Mumbai division are now being spruced upA dugup platform at Matunga stationKey criteriaAs per a Station Directorate and Transformation circular station upgrades under the ABSS include improvement of its building to provide an iconic structure with stateoftheart facilities and futuristic design integration with both sides of the city segregation of arrival and departure upgradation of connectivity for smooth traffic flow in coordination with local bodies and having pedestrian paths cycle paths skywalks and bridges It also includes creating welldesigned spaces inside stations fulllength covered platforms and providing roof plazasconcoursesWhatrsquos wrongPerfectly fine stations dug up at stations like Kanjurmarg Chinchpokli Matunga Vidyavihar was there a need to remove and replace the tiling when the flooring was nice Vikhroli station where work has begun all over again had just been upgraded under Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporationrsquos Station Redevelopment Scheme The station resembles a battleground with pits and levelling for flooring work Byculla station which was recently gloriously restored has been dug up againMatunga fast platformWork is also on steadily at slow and fast platforms at Matunga While the existing levelled tiles on Matungarsquos slow platforms are being removed to be replaced by new ones the fast train platform is not used by a single passenger local train or express train throughout the day except as a halt for a workmen special local train serviceSmooth tiles at Vikhroli station which commuters fear may cause mishaps during monsoonHeritage plaques hiddenThe 1921era heritage plaques at Sandhurst Road elevated station which CR used to take pride in and flaunt till recently are suddenly being covered up with decorated plywood and sheets for aesthetic reasons CR despite being the countryrsquos pioneering railway has always been ignorant about its national railway heritage and prideDigging and dust everywhereScenes of digging dust and chaos play out at all stations where work is on Heaps of tiles and construction machinery have been put up on narrow island platforms Commuters complained that at many stations work is on at the edge of platforms and passengers have to jump and hop while stepping out of local trains which halt no more than 30 seconds This has also become a safety issueShiny and slipperyMany of the new tiles being set are slippery Given the governmentrsquos focus on aesthetics the new tiles kota and granite are shinier and more attractive but commuters fear that these will prove to be slipperier than ever in the monsoon season which is just two months away There have been concerns about such tiles where commuters have complained of skidding and fallingKanjurmarg station once pitfree has been dug up for no good reason right Sandhurst Road station whose centuryold plaques have been covered upWorks that add valueByculla A new west side entry gate public toilets on all platforms and a multistorey parking facility are being builtChinchpokli All drinking water fountains on platforms are being repaired additional drains are being provided and a sewage treatment plant connection is being set upWadala Road A new gate booking counter and more ATVM machines have been plannedMatunga The footpath is being improved and an artistic compound wall and landscaping of the circulation area are being plannedKurla The booking office is being repaired more public space is being created and a new main entryexit gate is being built on the east sideVidyavihar A sixmetrewide foot overbridge at CSMTend is in the works the circulating area is being improved and additional escalators are being installedMumbra A drinking water fountain is to come up and a station upgrade is underwayDiva A new 12metrewide foot overbridge at CSMTend and a new booking office are planned on the east sideShahad A new skywalk paved parking space and new toilet blocks on platform 2 are in the worksTitwala A 12metre FOB is planned while all platformsrsquo height will be raised by 150 mm New toilet blocks will be builtIgatpuri The boundary wall in the circulating area and booking office will be improvedOfficial viewRailway officials said that the stations had been carefully selected based on high footfall and the scheme calls for a comprehensive upgrade including improving flooring A station cannot be developed partially under ABSS as it has to follow all the standard criteria ldquoMost of the platform work will be complete and they will be levelled before the monsoon sets in and commuters will face no inconveniencerdquo an official said Rejecting claims of slippery tiles officials said that all the tiles and flooring at the station follow prescribed specifications1309No of stations to be revitalised under ABSS