Mumbai: CR stations to get 19 escalators and 22 lifts

Your suburban commuting experience is likely to become smoother soon. Central Railway’s proposal to install more escalators and lifts at its stations was recently sanctioned by the railway board.

Your suburban commuting experience is likely to become smoother soon. Central Railway’s (CR) proposal to install more escalators and lifts at its stations was recently sanctioned by the railway board.

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With this, different suburban stations will get 19 escalators and 22 lifts. Dadar station will benefit the most, with four escalators and four lifts, while Thane station will get three lifts and four escalators. Kalyan station will get four lifts and two escalators, while Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) gets four escalators.

The contracts to install escalators and lifts will be issued by January end, after which work is scheduled to be completed in another six months. “Escalators are of great help in dispersing crowds during peak hours. We have received a good response for escalators, and therefore, we are making efforts to install more escalators and lifts,” said a senior railway official, requesting anonymity.

Currently, there are nine escalators on the Central Railway (CR) line, two at each of the stations in Thane, Dombivli, Dadar and Kalyan. There is one escalator at Vikhroli.

“Escalators should have been installed on suburban stations long before, but we are glad the railways have taken it up seriously now. I hope they will complete the work in a time-bound manner,” said Sumitra Deshpande, a Thane resident.

In addition to this, the Mumbai Railway Vikas Corporation (MRVC) is also planning to roll out a plan to control trespassing at 12 stations. This plan will involve the installation of 26 escalators, eight lifts, more skywalks, new foot-over-bridges (FOBs) and interconnection between these FOBs.