Mumbai: A member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee (DRUCC) has demanded that an additional platform should be built at the Elphinstone Road station in view of the rise in commuter footfall over the past few years. The DRUCC meeting was held in the presence of Sanjay Mishra, divisional railway manager (DRM) of Western Railway (WR), on Wednesday.
The member, Anil Tiwari, claimed that Mr Mishra has said that he would look into the demands.
Mr Mishra told this newspaper, “We are considering all the demands of the DRUCC, including the construction of a platform at Elphinstone Road station. If it is found feasible, we will definitely execute this idea.”
If the DRUCC’s demands become a reality, Virar and Dahanu-bound services could eventually commence from Elphinstone Road station.
Mr Tiwari said that a demand was raised for an additional platform at Elphinstone Road station. The addition platform should be used for the local terminus. He said, “As several corporate offices have shifted to commercial complex high-rises in Elphi-nstone in the past one decade, the footfall of passenger has increased at Elphinstone Road station. The stations see a heavy rush during peak hours. If new services begin at Elphinstone Road station, office-goers will get relief.”
He also said that as there is space to the east and west of the station, the WR could build the platform on either side so that services could be started for Borivali, Virar and Dahanu Road, indirectly helping to reduce crowding at Dadar station.
It is to be noted that 23 people were killed and 39 injured in a stampede at the Elphinstone Road-Parel railway station’s foot overbridge in September 2017.
Mr Tiwari also raised the issue of increasing suburban services that start from Dadar station while other DRUCC members demanded that the Duranto Express halt at Borivali.
