Mumbai: Union Minister for Railways Piyush Goyal on Friday said the works related to safety have picked up speed in the aftermath of the stampede at Elphinstone Road (now Prabhadevi).
The Western Railway (WR) and the Central Railway (CR) have completed 11 and 20 foot-over-bridges (FOB) in the last 12 months.
“We are continuing to learn from our experiences and improve for the future,” Mr. Goyal said. He highlighted the speed of the works by comparing the time it took for the tender for a new FOB at Elphinstone Road station, which ironically was floated on the day of the stampede. “The tender by chance came out that day, which was approved 18 months ago. Now, work starts within 70 to 80 days of the the project being sanctioned.”
The Minister defended the decision to rope in the Army to build three FOBs at Parel, Currey Road, and Ambivli. “That’s the kind of speed I wanted when I brought in the Army. I was criticised by many but I had a vision.” The Army bridge at Parel is hardly used by anyone owing to its accessibility.
Mr. Goyal said the government and the Railways are sensitive to 70 lakh passengers who commute daily in the Mumbai suburban section. “People should feel safe and if there is a problem, we are willing to go to any extent. But speed is the essence. There is a risk every day.”
Railway officials said the stampede, which claimed 23 lives, was a wake-up call. Since then projects such as FOBs have been classified as safety-related work like track renewal, signalling maintenance. Earlier it was classified as an amenity leading to a shortage of funds.
