By 2011, five major railway stations to get escalators

Crossing a railway bridge will be less cumbersome. Five stations on the Mumbai suburban section — Dadar, Thane, Kalyan along the central line and Andheri and Borivli on the western line — will have escalators.

Crossing a railway bridge will be less cumbersome.

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Five stations on the Mumbai suburban section — Dadar, Thane, Kalyan along the central line and Andheri and Borivli on the western line — will have escalators.

These stations are among 50 selected across the country for the project.

The escalators, part of the Indian Railways’ plan to make stations commuter-friendly, will be ready next year.

The Central Railway has already begun work to install escalators at suburban stations such as Thane and Dadar.

Commuters have expressed doubts whether escalators will be practical.

“It could be a risky affair given the sheer numbers that use a foot overbridge,” Akshay Somji Jasoria, a commuter said. “Furniture at stations is prone to vandalism. Dust and monsoon also lead to maintenance problems.”

But railway officials are positive.

“Don’t malls and airports use it? The company that is going to install it will be training our staff in handling the machines,” an official working on the project said, requesting anonymity because he is not authorised to speak to the media.

“The only reason to worry was a possible stampede, but we can always control the speed of escalators,” he added.

The official said the escalators will be monitored 24x7 to minimise accidents.

The railways are also planning to have air-conditioned elevators at Thane, Kalyan and Dadar stations.

Three elevators, for physically challenged passengers, women and senior citizens, were inaugurated in August 2009 at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus.

However, these have not received a good response.