Renumbering of platforms at Borivali station set to resume

Western Railway had halted work following objections from MP

Mumbai 24/02/2016: Commuters trying to board over crowded train at Borivali station in Mumbai. Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu will present Railway budget for 2016 tomorrow. Photo: Vijay Bate

Mumbai: Western Railway (WR) is set to resume the work to renumber platforms at Borivali railway station after a gap of almost two months. The work was stopped because Member of Parliament Gopal Shetty had written to WR suggesting a different numbering order.

WR officials said the decision to resume the work was taken keeping in mind the interest of passengers.

WR started renumbering platforms at stations along the line in December last year, to reduce confusion among passengers. The platforms are being numbered from West to East (the first platform on the West will be platform one, and so on).

“The platform numbers were overlapping with the harbour services between Andheri and Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus. We have been working on the renumbering process for long. For example, there is a platform numbered 6A at Borivali station, and sometimes passengers are not able to hear the ‘A’ in announcements and they run to Platform 6,” said a senior WR official. He said they received many complaints from passengers saying they were confused by Platforms 7 and 8 at the entrance on the West instead of Platforms 1 and 2.

“The platform numbers were not sequenced properly, since many platforms were built at a later stage. We have finished renumbering at Bandra, Vile Parle, Santacruz and Andheri stations. The only one left is Borivali station, which is more confusing than the others. We had to delay the work due to the letter from the MP from that area,” said the WR official.

The letter, a copy of which is with

The Hindu , says, “I suggest that Platform 6A be numbered as Platform 7, and the existing Platforms 7 and 8 be renumbered as 8 and 9.”

A Western Railway official said that the PA of the MP is the member of Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC), and the MP feels that the renumbering will decrease his popularity among voters.

The official added, “Western Railway had asked for feedback from the DRUCC and Zonal Railway Users’ Consultative Committee, and most members were positive about the renumbering. But then, we received a letter from MP’s office.”

Ravindra Bhakar, chief PRO, Western Railway, said, “The proposal has been sent from the division to the headquarters, and the renumbering work is likely to start soon at Borivali station as per the convenience of the passengers.”