MP Gopal Shetty at the inauguration of an elevated booking office and escalators at Kandivli station. (Source: Express phot by Dilip Kagda)
A home platform and booking office at Bandra Terminus, an elevated booking office at Kandivli and escalators at Goregaon and Kandivli stations were inaugurated by the Union Minister of Railways Suresh Prabhu through video-conferencing on Wednesday.
Bandra Terminus is the second major terminal after Mumbai Central on Mumbai Division of Western Railways, which deals with long-distance trains from Mumbai.
The home platform at Bandra, which will connect the long-distance platforms with the suburban railway platforms, is part of the dedicated sixth line for mail trains, planned under the Mumbai Urban Transport Project II.
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The estimated cost of the construction of the platform is Rs 33.24 crore. The elevated booking office has been built at a cost of Rs 1.5 crore.
The elevated deck of the booking office with five windows, inaugurated at Kandivli station, and escalators at both Kandivli and Goregaon stations, will come as relief for over three lakh commuters. The total estimated amount of this work is around Rs 5.9 crore.
While Kandivli station sees more than 1.72 lakh originating passengers per day, Goregaon station sees a daily footfall of around 1.54 lakh originating passengers.
Meanwhile, disappointed at ‘not being given importance’, Shiv Sena workers protested at the function at the Bandra Terminus.
Raising black flags and shouting slogans against the BJP, the Sena workers criticised the government for ‘belittling their party by either delaying their invitations or by sending invites for functions just a day before’.
The city BJP chief Ashish Shelar, however, accused the Sena of mixing politics with development activities.
“Shiv Sena should dissuade from mixing politics with development activities. Railways has always worked hard to bring better amenities to commuters and Sena workers must encourage such work,” Shelar said.
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