Mumbai stampede: Elphinstone Road station bridge to be widened in a year

The tender was floated online on September 29 — the day of the stampede.

More than two weeks after 23 people were killed in a stampede on the stairs of a foot overbridge at Elphinstone Road station, the Western Railway (WR) will take at least a year to expand it, said a senior official. The tender was floated online on September 29 — the day of the stampede.

23 people were killed in the stampede

Built in the early 1970s, the FOB has not gone through any major maintenance work till date. The number of passengers using the bridge has increased to 1 lakh daily.

“Work will begin soon. However, it will take at least a year to complete it. The average time taken for such construction is two years.” said the official.

Other officials also admitted that after getting funds such a project takes at least two years.

The WR authorities have come under scanner after they took 18 months to issue the tender for the project.

The Ministry of Railways last week formed a committee to probe the delay in floating the tender.

The committee, which will be led by Pratyush Sinha, retired chief vigilance commissioner, comprises Vinayak Chatterjee, chairman of CII Economic Affairs Aouncil, Subodh Jain, retired member of the Railway Board (engineering), and Pankaj Kumar, director of the Railway Board (safety). It has been asked to submit its report within three months and will suggest ways to cut delays in the tendering process.