The Elphinstone Road station tragedy has prompted the Shiv Sena to propose a railway station between Mulund and Thane, one of the most congested stretches on the Mumbai suburban rail network.
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday held a third meeting with Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC) Minister Eknath Shinde to chalk out the modalities.
The new station is likely to cost ₹150 crore and once complete, officials said, it will make commute smoother for nearly seven lakh passengers daily.
“We have received a positive response from the Chief Minister. We want people coming from far-flung areas such as Vartak Nagar, Wagle Estate, and Ghodbandar to get maximum benefits. Besides, they will be able to skip commuting via Thane city and directly proceed towards these areas if a station comes up just after Mulund,” said Mr. Shinde.
A final decision is likely this month, said officials.
The station near Mulund will come up on an 18-acre land, which is owned by the Revenue department. Mr. Shinde said parts of the land are reserved for a hospital, but suitable changes will be made to make way for the station. “The new station will ensure passengers do not have to hang outside the trains during peak hours.”
Revenue department officials said they are coordinating with the Health department to mark the land for the station. “We have some encroachments, so the government will have to ensure rehabilitation of the displaced,” they said.
Meanwhile, Mr. Shinde led a delegation of Sena ministers to put forward demands on commuter safety before the Chief Minister. The delegation demanded that hawkers be removed and foot overbridges and bridges be widened.
Cabinet sub-committee
The government on Tuesday formed a Cabinet sub-committee, which will coordinate with the agencies and the departments concerned to put in place necessary passenger facilities at suburban railway stations in and around Mumbai.
“The decision to form a sub-committee was taken to ensure that incidents like the stampede at the foot overbridge linking Elphinstone Road and Parel railway stations, in which 23 people lost their lives, do nor recur,” the Chief Minister’s Office said in a statement.
The sub-committee will review the railway stations and foot overbridges, where there is a huge footfall. “It will also suggest remedies for the persisting problems at the suburban railway stations,” it said.
Leader of Opposition in the Council Dhananjay Munde had demanded that a special session of the legislature be convened to discuss the problems faced by suburban railway commuters.
( With inputs from PTI )
