Mumbai: Railways to fence off Badlapur platform, commuters demand clarity

Railway officials plan to segregate local trains originating from and terminating at Badlapur station by fencing up one side of an island platform and building multiple stairways to a massive elevated deck that is partially ready While the fencing will begin soon work has been started on its foundationsThe staircases escalators and elevators on the platform in the centre will prove to be a major crowdbuster Commuters have cautioned Railways saying that given the huge footfalls at the station an awareness campaign should be launched before taking any major step It will be of help in the long run but will create immediate confusion in the minds of commuters The railways must try and finish the work at the earliestThe partially completed deck which connects the home and island platformsldquoWe are barricading the home platform Without doing this work canrsquot be completed on foot overbridges Itrsquos a sort of a loop We will require commutersrsquo cooperation to complete the project as soon as possible If fencing is not done it will not be possible to provide escalators a lift and staircases on platform 2rdquo a rail official saidThe cost of the project is approximately Rs 80 crore Elaborating on the entire project an official said ldquoMRVC Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation Limited has undertaken various development works at Badlapur station a crucial suburban station on Central Railway with the highest footfall between Kalyan and Karjat These upgrades aim to enhance passenger convenience and are being executed in phasesrdquoThe island platform at Badlapur station which is to be partially fenced off PicsRajendra B AklekarldquoThe ongoing and upcoming works include two additional 12metrewide foot overbridges and a 150metrelong deck connecting the home and island platforms along with a middle 12metre foot overbridge that is nearly complete with a portion already opened for public use In addition to this passengerfriendly amenities such as escalators and lifts on all platforms are planned to ensure smooth movementrdquo he addedldquoWhile these development works may cause temporary inconvenience they will greatly enhance passenger comfort upon completion Once both 12metrewide FOBs escalators and lifts are fully operational commuters will enjoy seamless connectivity between public skywalks and platforms Additionally a new station building and other facilities are planned as part of the ongoing work for the proposed third and fourth railway lines between Kalyan and Badlapurrdquo he explainedTransformative projectldquoThe development work at Badlapur station is progressing in phases to enhance passenger convenience As part of this initiative we are barricading the existing platform no 1 to facilitate the seamless completion of foot overbridges escalators and elevators While we understand that this may cause temporary inconvenience the longterm benefits are significantly improved passenger movement and safety We request cooperation from commuters in ensuring the timely completion of this transformative projectrdquo Sunil G Udasi chief public relations officer MRVC saidMarkings indicating where the fence will spring upCompleted worksgtgt A new home platform on the west side for trains originating from Badlapur was completed and opened for passengers in February 2024gtgt A sixmetrewide foot overbridge at the Karjat end of the station was commissioned in December 2022 significantly reducing trespassing and improving connectivity between the east and west sides as well as between platformsFollowupsDuring the midday station audit in 2018 this newspaper found that a platform at Badlapur station had been narrowed due to unnecessary elements such as water kiosks that took up space Platforms also lacked a covering at the south end resulting in people sitting at the base of the staircase blocking it The north end of the station does not have a bridge at all Following the report Railways promised that the station was in line for developmentBadlapur and Ambernath stations were subsequently highlighted during a Railway Board chairmanrsquos visit the same yearPassenger SpeakAnup Suresh Mhetre Badlapur commuterldquoGiven the increasing population in Ambernath and Badlapur development work at their respective railway stations which has been going on for the past few years is gradually progressing It is necessary to create awareness among the passengers about the changes that are being made at railway stations as per the development plan to avoid creating an atmosphere of confusion and mental distress This will create a sense of harmony between the passengers and the railway administrationrdquoShailesh Raut President KalyanKasara Railway Passenger AssociationldquoThe decision to fence off the Badlapur home platform will help decongest the island platform which will not be overburdened It will help segregate train crowds and channelise Badlapur commuters on to the home platform that opens to the station road A similar thing has been done for one of the platforms at the busy Kalyan station and it has made a difference The Kalyanend bridge is narrow and something must be done about it urgentlyrdquoHarshad Chambawane ActivistldquoAt Badlapur station platforms 1 and 2 are joint serving passengers heading towards Karjat and CSMT so they see a huge rush Platform 1 has a doubledischarge facility and CR is planning to close platform 1 for some time so they can build bridges escalators and lifts using this space Closing platforms can help avoid accidents However it will inconvenience some as platform 1A is narrow and cannot accommodate too many passengers especially during rush hours Also if Karjatbound locals arrive on platform 1 passengers will have to change platforms which is inconvenient To avoid this Railways should find some solution and try to keep some space for alighting passengers on platform 1 Also on new lines new platforms should be built keeping the future growth of Badlapur in mindrdquo