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Broken wall allows Vikhroli commuters to cross tracks, ignore FOB

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The stretch at the southern end of Vikhroli station where people cross the tracks
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Almost two years after the railways closed a level-crossing at the southern tip of Vikhroli station and built a foot-overbridge (FOB) in its place and also equipped it with an escalator, people using the station are crossing tracks at will. All thanks to a wide gap in the safety wall that runs along the eastern periphery of the station.

It has allowed people to jump off the edge of platforms No. 2 and 3 and walk over the fast tracks, as well as the two outstation tracks, and cross into the eastern part of the station. This despite the FOB, commissioned in June 2012, being hardly 10 meters away from the gap in the wall.

What makes the situation more dangerous is that unlike earlier years when the trains used to slow down as they approached the level crossing, the construction of the FOB and closure of the level crossing has meant that trains on the fast track as well as the long-distance train using the 5th and 6th lines zoom past the station at speeds of 60 kilometres per hour and above.

The FOB was created as a result of a sustained campaign from people living in the vicinity, who used to see a death on the level crossing almost on a daily basis. The campaign came to a head in November 2010, when five people were killed on the level crossing in different mishaps on the same Sunday. People had blocked the tracks for more than two hours that day and only relented after top railway authorities assured them of a FOB.

Bhandup-resident Manish Chaturvedi, blamed the commuters recklessly crossing the tracks. "It just shows that we, Mumbaikars, are always game for a short-cut. Even if it is dangerous. Here the railways cannot be blamed since they have put in place the infrastructure like FOB and escalators. However, why they chose to leave the gap in the wall needs to be asked to them," said Chaturvedi.

Speaking to dna, Mukesh Nigam, divisional railway manager, CR, said that the gap in the wall was because of some unfinished work at the spot. "But we intend to plug the gap as soon as possible to ensure people cannot cross the tracks," said Nigam.

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