Elphinstone Road station stampede: Mumbai rlys need help to control peak-hour crowd

Mumbai authorities plan to ask state government, home guard and police for help to monitor foot-over bridges at all stations

Following the Elphinstone Road stampede, railway authorities plan to approach the state government and ask for help to monitor the foot overbridges (FOB) and control peak-hour crowds.

After the stampede, in which 23 were killed, Union railway minister Piyush Goyal classified FOBs as amenities. (HT File)

The railway authorities will ask the home guard and state police to deploy their extra personnel at stations.

This comes after a meeting held by railway officials, which was chaired by the director general of the railway protection force (RPF) last week.

Railway officials said they lack the manpower to monitor crowds at all FoBs. They have also hinted at approaching private organisations to help with crowd management.“We are looking at how we can increase commuters’ safety at FoBs. We will ask state agencies to deploy some of their manpower here,” said SK Jain, divisional railway manager, Central Railway.

Currently, CR authorities have deployed railway staff at FoBs at Parel, Kurla, Dadar, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus, Ghatkopar, Dombivli, Thane, Masjid, and Kalyan stations.

Western railway authorities have deployed RPF at FoBs at Elphinstone Road, Churchgate, Bombay Central, Andheri, Nalasopara and Virar stations.

The railway ministry formed a panel chaired by former central vigilance commissioner Pratyush Sinha, to investigate the delay. A report is expected to be submitted within three months.