Prabhadevi railway station: Nine years after stampede, commuters fear another tragedy amid crowding

Nine years after a stampede at Prabhadevi formerly Elphinstone railway station claimed at least 23 lives passengers say it takes as long as seven to eight minutes to ascend a foot overbridge due to crowding fearing that another tragedy could occur if congestion is not addressed urgentlyldquoIt shouldnrsquot take nearly eight minutes just to climb a few steps Everyone is pushing from behind and there is hardly any space to move Taking the stairs daily feels riskyrdquo said commuter Mukesh Makhija who travels from Ulhasnagar to Worli daily for workPassengers exit Prabhadevi railway station via the foot overbridge that is prone to crowding PicShadab KhanAnother regular passenger Renu Chaudhary said the rush becomes worse whenever a train arrives on both platforms simultaneously ldquoPeople from different directions merge onto the same bridge There are moments when you cannot even lift your feet because the crowd is so dense It is frightening especially during the monsoon Also this is the only entryexit point near IndiaBulls which sees the maximum footfallrdquo she saidAbout 35 lakh commuters use the PrabhadeviParel station complex every day according to railway estimates Around 400 Western Railway suburban trains halt at Prabhadevi and about 300 Central Railway trains halt at Parel dailyPainful historyDaily commuter Nandini Keluskar saidldquoThis bridge has a painful history Several people lost their lives here yet commuters continue to struggle Authorities need to increase access points or create additional pedestrian infrastructure instead of temporary fixesrdquolsquoEven residents sufferrsquoCommuters also pointed out that ongoing Elphinstone bridgerelated works in the area have exacerbated the chaos forcing pedestrians through narrower passages during peak hours ldquoInterim arrangements have only intensified crowding increasing the inconvenience and danger for not just railway commuters but also residents who use the approach road and bridgerdquo said Parel resident Akshay SutarOfficial SpeakA WR spokesperson said that there are three FOBs at Prabhadevi station ldquoThe landings from the Elphinstone Road Bridge to the railway station have been demolished for the rebuilding of the road overbridge works This has led to increased footfall on the south side bridge To ensure systematic movement during peak hours this structure has been converted into a oneway bridge which means commuters are allowed to step out of the station only through this bridge during morning peak hours and step into the station during evening peak hours Those who wish to enterexit in the opposite direction are directed to other bridges Currently 14 RPFs and three senior officials are deployed during peak hours Additionally in coordination with BMC we are processing the construction of another landing exit on the west side of this FOB to facilitate better movement of commuters Till then we request passengers to cooperate with Railwaysrdquopopcorn number400 descSuburban trains that halt at Prabhadevi station daily classDefaultpopcorn number35 lakh descNo of commuters who use the PrabhadeviParel station classDefault