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Vikhroli FOB opens today; commuters not a happy lot

Constructed to assist commuters and pedestrians crossing over at the level crossing gate, the bridge has been built at the south end of the station and lands on platform one in the west and on the station road in the east.

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The Central Railway (CR) is all set to open the much controversial foot over-bridge (FOB) at Vikhroli, just a day beyond the deadline. The commuters, though, are unhappy as they insist that the FOB is still incomplete and the CR, they suggest, is not interested in ensuring that the work is done as per the original plan.

Constructed to assist commuters and pedestrians crossing over at the level crossing gate, the bridge has been built at the south end of the station and lands on platform one in the west and on the station road in the east.

"The railways should have built the landing outside on the road instead of the platform number one, which has now been narrowed down due to the staircases. The structures next to railway station in the west are illegal and the railways did not prefer to demolish them, but changed the path of the foot over-bridge to favour them," alleged Terence D'Souza, member of the Bombay Catholic Sabha and a local resident. D' Souza also demanded that the railways should ensure that there are ramps on the landing of  the FOB, to enable the movement of senior citizens and children.

The Bombay high court has also asked the railway to inspect the station and reply within a week on the claims made by residents. D'Souza and a few other activists had approached the court over the matter. At present, there are two foot over-bridges at Vikhroli station, one in the middle and one at the Kalyan-end. The new 4.88 m wide bridge being built at the south end was expected to be ready by June 30.

The CR services had come to a complete halt for more than three hours in November after a mob of commuters, residents and NGO activists staged a rail roko following the death of three people in different incidents in close vicinity due to train accidents in November 2010.

Following the death of commuters and the subsequent public outcry, the railways had promised that work on the new foot over-bridge towards the CST end of Vikhroli station at a cost of Rs2 crore would begun by January 2011 and was scheduled to be completed by May 2011. The date was later postponed to June 30.

"The railways should build a wider bridge from east to west, not landing on platforms as it would require tickets," D' Souza said.

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