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Newly-elected MPs meet railway officials to close platform gap

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Just two days after being elected to Parliament, three city MPs met with a top railway ministry official in Delhi on Monday to emphasize the need to solve the platform gap problem that has claimed the lives of several commuters and also caused serious injuries.

Rahul Shewale, Shiv Sena MP elected from the Mumbai South-Central constituency, said, "We are here to ask the railway to quicken the pace of work to make the platforms safe. The previous government had not made any provision in the budget for the work, but we have asked the ministry to ensure funds are made available to close the gaps urgently."

The three MPs met the newly-appointed member (engineering) VK Gupta, who is concerned with all matters related to civil engineering.

Shewale told dna that railway officials in Mumbai would undertake a visit to three stations – Chembur on the harbour line, Ghatkopar on the Central Railway and Borivli on the Western Railway – to kick-start the process to bridge the gaps.

On Saturday, Kirit Somaiya, the BJP MP elected from North-East Mumbai constituency, met Central Railway officials, including divisional railway manager Mukesh Nigam, to request them to expedite the platform work on the Central Railway.

The matter grabbed the headlines after a collegian slipped into the gap at Ghatkopar station and lost her hands, while trying to board a train. It was also taken up by the Bombay High Court which directed the authorities to work out a solution quickly.

According to the railway rules, the height of the platform should be between 760mm and 840mm from the top of the rails and the maximum gap between the platform and the floor of the train should be between 342mm and 437 mm.

Both the central and western railways have written to the railway board to raise the stipulated height to between 900mm to 920mm, to adjust to the local trains that are wider and higher than outstation trains.

For example, the Siemens rakes have a floor height of almost 1,220mm, whereas the ideal, according to railway rules, should be around 1,187mm to 1,197mm from the top of the rail.

The floor of the new Bombardier rakes that are on trial, is a touch higher at 1,230mm from the top of the rails.

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