Two footbridges shut at Masjid station, commuters take long detour via northern bridge

Lakhs of people travel daily by Mumbai's local trains, often called the city's lifeline. But two foot overbridges are closed at Masjid station on Central Railway, causing commuters considerable inconvenience. Both the bridge at the southern end of the station and the middle bridge are shut.

With both bridges closed, commuters have to use the bridge on the northern side, which means a long detour. Passengers heading east in particular have to walk more, and are losing valuable time.

Masjid is among Mumbai's important stations. Office-goers, traders, students and ordinary commuters use it every day. The daily schedule of lakhs of working people in Mumbai depends on the local trains, and they rush to catch a fixed train to reach work on time. But after getting off at Masjid, the closure of both bridges forces them to take the longer route. The complaint is that even when the train is on time, it takes longer to exit the station, and some commuters are reaching their offices late. The problem is thus affecting the daily routine of working people.

During the morning and evening rush, passenger movement at stations is very heavy. With two bridges shut, there is concern that pressure on the one working bridge will rise. Elderly people, persons with disabilities, women and families travelling with small children may face more difficulty. Safety, as well as convenience, is therefore becoming a concern.

A commuter wrote on social media that since Ganpati, the bridges of both Central Railway and Harbour Railway at Masjid Bunder have been closed. According to the commuter, passengers have to use a single bridge, causing heavy crowding and posing a serious risk to the safety of women, girls and children. The post tagged @Central_Railway, @drmmumbaicr and @Dev_Fadnavis.

Commuters should be clearly told why the southern and middle bridges have been closed. Official information is awaited from the railway administration on whether the bridges are shut for repairs or for some other reason, and when they will reopen.

Until then, arrangements such as providing an alternative route for commuters, putting up proper signboards and deploying the necessary staff during peak hours are being called for. The demand is that the closed bridges be reopened at the earliest, or that a reasonable alternative arrangement be made in the meantime to ease commuters' difficulty.

For Mumbai's local train commuters, travel does not mean only trains running on time. Safe and easy movement within the station is just as important. Commuters are now watching when the railway administration resolves the problem at Masjid.