Maharashtra sets up committee for coordination at Mumbai Railway stations

Maharashtra Cabinet has set up a sub-committee for coordination among concerned departments for passenger facilities at Mumbai Railway stations.

This comes after the recent incident earlier on Friday, where 23 people were killed and over 30 injured in stampede on a narrow foot-over-bridge that connects the Elphinstone Road station on the Western Railway to Parel on the Central line.

Earlier on Saturday, Union Railway Minister Piyush Goyal empowered the Railways' General Managers to spend whatever is necessary on safety.

For next 18 months, General Managers of Railway zones have been delegated powers without limit for Safety related issues. They 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.

Goyal took this decision after a meeting with the senior officers of the Railway Board at the Western Railways headquarters at Church gate. Several major decisions were taken in the meeting, wherein passenger safety was accorded the highest priority.

Goyal had also announced that forty maintenance yards across the country will be upgraded with modern technology for maintenance for wards, locomotive in a better way.

"I have sanctioned 15 car platforms for extension in the Western Railways, which will be beneficial for speeding up the process in the slow corridor," he had said.