Western Railway has begun cementing the approach road on the western side of the station, which after years of neglect had become tough to walk on.
Thousands of office-goers using Elphinstone station have something to cheer about. Western Railway has begun cementing the approach road on the western side of the station, which after years of neglect had become tough to walk on.
When did the cementing begin?
The cementing has begun after railways got several complaints of water-logging on the stretch which makes it impossible for office-goers to use it. Various office complexes dot the former mill area of Elphinstone-Parel.
WR divisional railway manager Shailendra Kumar confirmed the development. "The approach road to the western side of Ephinstone station is being repaired to prevent water stagnation. There were complaints of water stagnation on that stretch during the previous monsoon," said Kumar.
What was the condition of the road?
During the monsoons last year, the approach road had become a slushy mud-path made still worse by a garbage mound alongside it. The garbage would spread all over the path due to the rains. The situation forced office-goers to use the middle foot over bridge of the station connected to Carol bridge which runs above the station. "But that was inconveniencing a lot of commuters because of the crowding and the narrow walking area of Carol bridge," said a railway official.
The water stagnation also put the residents of the WR colony on the side of the road in danger of water-borne diseases.
Sister stations did not see much footfall
Elphinstone, as well as its sister station Parel on the Central line, were once stations which did not see much footfall except for people working in the mills that dotted the area. However, as the mills changed into office complexes, the infrastructure at and around both the stations have started looking inadequate with the approach roads becoming narrower due to encroachment.
"There is no place for a taxi to even turn on this road. Shops, a garbage dump, a parked ambulance and ever-increasing crowds only make matters worse. It is good that the railways is cementing this road; but it would be better if they can remove the encroachments and make the road wider," said B Subramaniam, a regular user of the road.
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