Despite spending Rs 7.8 crore on a new foot overbridge (FOB) at Wadala, the structure remains largely unused. Why? Because railway authorities forgot a crucial step — barricading the walls and closing the trackside gates - allowing people to continue taking the dangerous shortcut across the railway tracks. In fact, by leaving gaps in the wall open, the railways have unintentionally created a new shortcut for trespassers.

The unlocked trackside gates left wide open for easy access to commuters. Pics/Rajendra B Aklekar

This bridge is a glaring example of how the much-hyped trespass control programme continues to fail, with public funds spent on infrastructure that sees little to no use. Between January and December 2024, Mumbai’s suburban railway network recorded 2468 deaths and 2697 injuries, many of them due to trespassing or crossing railway tracks.