Brace for major changes in Mumbai local train schedule

In the aftermath of the stampede at Elphinstone Road station, the authorities are racing to improve railway safety. But after engineers complained about the lack of time for maintenance, Railway Minister Piyush Goyal suggested that they push the last local to an earlier slot, and delay the first local of the next day, so the workers get four hours at a stretch.

Relatives of the stampede victims stage a protest against the railways outside KEM Hospital

Meanwhile, Minister Goyal has also given the go-ahead to appoint three new additional divisional railway managers (ADRM), one of whom will solely be responsible for the safe running of the network.

Piyush Goyal. File pic

The city currently has a divisional railway manager (DRM), who is the functional head of the Mumbai division. The DRM also has an ADRM to assist, but both are usually busy with train operations, punctuality and interactions with public representatives and passengers.

The railways is on war footing to com­plete a safety audit of all Mumbai suburban stations in a week. Goyal has also approved the construction of 20 new foot overbridges (FOBs) on the Central line. On the Western line, 10 new FOBs are to be constructed, while 13 will be widened.

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View Photos: Mumbai: Gruesome photos of the Elphinstone station stampede