The long-abandoned, heritage-listed Reay Road station building was ironically celebrated for its historic significance on Wednesday. In reality, the station has remained shut since February 2022, when construction began on a new bridge. However, due to poor planning by Maharail — which built the bridge without aligning proper entry and exit routes — the century-old structure was left unusable. Adding to the irony, the barricades blocking access to the building were painted with noticeable enthusiasm.

The Central Railway observed an unannounced ‘Station Mahotsav’ at six stations on Wednesday, seemingly just to comply with Railway Board directives, without addressing the reality on the ground. Hastily erected pandals and low-key events were conducted without prior intimation to commuters or the public, turning the occasion into a mere social media exercise for compliance, failing to achieve its stated aim of public engagement and education.

Pouring paint at Reay Road