Manthan K Mehta & Manoj Badgeri TNN
Mumbai: Not just Ghatkopar and Thane, Central Railway’s Mumbai division has been directed to ensure that there are no abrupt discontinuation (like gaps) or any infringement (like signal poles) on platforms that can endanger the lives of commuters.
The Commissioner of Railway Safety (CRS) of Central Circle has asked the authorities to comply and submit a report within two weeks.
Central Railway has finally begun work to fill up the pit at Ghatkopar’s platformNo2throughwhichstudent Monika More, 16, fell and lost both arms. “We have decided to shift the signal horizontally by 1.5 meters and the junction box from the pit can be shifted to the middle of the tracks,” said CR’sdivisional manager Mukesh Nigam.
Safety commissioner Chetan Bakshi told TOI: “There is no violation of the Schedule of Dimension (of platforms) in the case of Ghatkopar as the train was stopping well short of the signal. However, such discontinuation of platform is not desirable.”
At Thane, another pit lying unattended for close to two years was finally covered. Workers from the railways’ civil works department filled the ditch with debris and levelled it off with cement blocks. By Thursday afternoon, the signal box was also shifted, leaving behind a smooth platform surface.
The10ftx3ftditchwascreated after signal pole S68 was shifted following a mandate that equipment on platforms must be 4.7m away from the centre of the track.
Epitomizing railways red tape, the department relocating thesignalshiftedthe pole but didn’t move the allied equipment from the platform. It also didn’t inform the civil works department and thus the gap was left unattended for almost two years.
Pits on platforms are filled up at Ghatkopar and Thane stations
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