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British-era FOB at Pune railway station to be demolished
The FOB connected with all the six platforms. After a safety audit of the FOB found several cracks and other safety flag points, the railway administration closed down the pathway for public use.
The historic and first footover bridge (FOB) at Pune railway station, built during the British rule around 1925-1930, will be demolished by the Pune railway division after a recent safety audit found it dangerous for public use.
The FOB connected with all the six platforms. After a safety audit of the FOB found several cracks and other safety flag points, the railway administration closed down the pathway for public use.
“The old FOB has become unsafe for passengers. Hence, we closed it for public use since last few days. Its starting point was the entrance gate near the reservation counters and covered six platforms. It will be demolished in phase wise manner. With the new FOB alongside functional, there will not be any inconvenience to passengers,” said Pune divisional railway manager (DRM) Renu Sharma.
The Pune railway station also has three more FOBs. The new and wider FOB that was opened for public use last year connects six platforms. Another FOB built in 2015 towards Solapur end connects only platform no. 1, 2 and 3. The other two FOBs are towards the Mumbai end of the station and only one of it extends till the Raja Bahadur road side.
The oldest FOB that will be demolished had ramps at each platform for the elderly and disabled. The other FOBs do have the facility, leaving passengers to use staircase option to get down to platforms.
On proposed ramps or lifts at platforms, Sharma said, “As of now, there are no plans to set up lifts at platforms, but it can be installed in future.”
The railway station daily sees more than 200 train operations and over 3 lakh footfall, before the Covid situation reduced it to around 40 trains.
Past and present
Giving details about the historic Pune railway station building, city-based historian Mandar Lawate said, “In 1858, a small building of Pune railway station was built and a single line of railway was running from Pune. During the period between 1925 and 1930, the existing building of the station was built, including the oldest FOB. The railway track lines were expanded to two with only steam engines running from Pune and Bombay. Later, the station became a junction and railway lines were increased towards south Maharashtra. So, railway lines increased, platforms were added, electrification of trains was done and FOB was built for crossing the platforms,”
“Now, it is necessary to go ahead with times. If the FOB has become old and unsafe, railway administration will take the best decision for passengers’ safety. It is always better to take prior precautions before any untoward mishap takes place.”
Pune railway station
The train operations at Pune railway station started in 1858. Initially, only one train was running to Khandala from Pune. Operations expanded to Sholapur and Miraj in 1886. The existing building of the railway station which is a “national heritage structure” was built during 1925 to 1930.
