Following the Bombay High Court order to increase the height of railway platforms, the Central Railway will soon begin work at 16 stations to raise the height of a total of 26 platforms to 900mm.
A tender for the 26 platforms is expected to open in early September, following which work will be allotted. The height raising work at the stations is estimated to to be completed by May 31, 2015.
Of the 273 platforms on 73 railway stations,CR has to raise the height of platform at 83 platforms. Of the 83, CR has identified 26 platforms, where a high volume of passengers is reported everyday.
“Not just the existing height of the platform, but the volume of commuters handled at the platform everyday has been kept in mind while selecting the first batch of platforms where the work will be carried out,” said a senior railway officer, requesting anonymity.
The work will be carried out at Masjid Road, Sandhurst Road, Dadar, Kurla, Vidyavihar, Vikroli, Kanjurmarg, Ambernath, Bhivpuri, Dombivali, Atagaon, Khardi, Kasara, Cotton Green, Reay Road and Wadala railway stations for a total cost of Rs 577 lakh.
Following Monika More’s accident at Ghatkopar railway station early this year, the Bombay High Court directed the railways to examine the safety of the platform height range of 760mm-840mm.
With the Railway Board approving increasing the platform height up to 920mm, HC has asked the railways to complete the work in a year.
CR recently completed height raising work at platform 1 at Ghatkopar, platform 3 and 4 at Thane, platform 1 and 2 at Kopar, platform 1 and 2 at Chembur and platform 1 at Kalyan.
Work on remaining 57 platforms will be carried out in phases.
priyal.dave@expressindia.com