<div align="justify">Railways has ordered compulsory foot over bridges, more escalators at stations as an immediate safety measure following a stampede at Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road railway station that killed 23 people.<br /><br />Railway Minister Piyush Goyal called a meeting of the Railway Board in Mumbai to take decisions in a bid to ease passenger congestion at railway stations across the country, an official release said here. <br /><br />Foot Over Bridges (FOBs), platforms and pathways on platform end would be treated as safety items having highest priority with no restriction of budget. Earlier only the first FOB at a station was considered as essential and subsequent as passenger amenity. <br /><br />General managers of all railway zones have been empowered to spend funds on safety and additional escalators will be sanctioned in a phased manner – first at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and later at all high-traffic stations.<br /><br />General managers shall intimate Financial Commissioner (FC) within a week of sanction for provision, and FC shall confirm the same within 15 days. In case of disagreement, the matter shall be put up to the Railway Board for final decision within the same 15 days, the release said. <br /><br />Additional Escalators would be sanctioned at stations of the Mumbai Suburban system having high footfall with the details to be finalised within 15 days. Similar exercise will be carried out for all high use stations all over India. <br /><br />Nearly 200 officers would be relocated from head quarters as in field to strengthen ground operations and project implementation. New station directors would posted at 75 stations all over India to bring "dynamism" in operations. <br /><br />Within the next 15 months, CCTV cameras will be installed in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism. This shall be done in across India as well. <div align="justify"><br />Earlier, the Railway Ministry issued a statement that " it seems that due to sudden thundershower type rains, a stampede-like situation arose on the north side foot over bridge connecting Elphinstone Road and Parel stations."<br /><br />The Ministry clarified that there was no structural damage to the foot over bridge due to the stampede. It said Western Railway carries out a detailed safety audit of all steel structures, including foot over bridges, at least twice a year.</div><div align="justify"><br />The statement said, “A new 12-metres long foot over bridge at the north-end parallel to this bridge has already been sanctioned connecting Western Railway and Central Railway along with East-West connectivity. The platforms at Elphinstone Road station is also planned to be extended along with construction of this foot over bridge.”</div></div>
<div align="justify">Railways has ordered compulsory foot over bridges, more escalators at stations as an immediate safety measure following a stampede at Mumbai’s Elphinstone Road railway station that killed 23 people.<br /><br />Railway Minister Piyush Goyal called a meeting of the Railway Board in Mumbai to take decisions in a bid to ease passenger congestion at railway stations across the country, an official release said here. <br /><br />Foot Over Bridges (FOBs), platforms and pathways on platform end would be treated as safety items having highest priority with no restriction of budget. Earlier only the first FOB at a station was considered as essential and subsequent as passenger amenity. <br /><br />General managers of all railway zones have been empowered to spend funds on safety and additional escalators will be sanctioned in a phased manner – first at crowded Mumbai suburban stations and later at all high-traffic stations.<br /><br />General managers shall intimate Financial Commissioner (FC) within a week of sanction for provision, and FC shall confirm the same within 15 days. In case of disagreement, the matter shall be put up to the Railway Board for final decision within the same 15 days, the release said. <br /><br />Additional Escalators would be sanctioned at stations of the Mumbai Suburban system having high footfall with the details to be finalised within 15 days. Similar exercise will be carried out for all high use stations all over India. <br /><br />Nearly 200 officers would be relocated from head quarters as in field to strengthen ground operations and project implementation. New station directors would posted at 75 stations all over India to bring "dynamism" in operations. <br /><br />Within the next 15 months, CCTV cameras will be installed in all suburban trains in Mumbai with monitoring mechanism. This shall be done in across India as well. <div align="justify"><br />Earlier, the Railway Ministry issued a statement that " it seems that due to sudden thundershower type rains, a stampede-like situation arose on the north side foot over bridge connecting Elphinstone Road and Parel stations."<br /><br />The Ministry clarified that there was no structural damage to the foot over bridge due to the stampede. It said Western Railway carries out a detailed safety audit of all steel structures, including foot over bridges, at least twice a year.</div><div align="justify"><br />The statement said, “A new 12-metres long foot over bridge at the north-end parallel to this bridge has already been sanctioned connecting Western Railway and Central Railway along with East-West connectivity. The platforms at Elphinstone Road station is also planned to be extended along with construction of this foot over bridge.”</div></div>
