Mumbai: In light of the Elphinstone Road stampede last year which killed 22 people and injured many others, the Central Railway (CR) plans to build a shed near railway stations for commuters ahead of the monsoon. The CR has identified seven railway stations where such sheds will be built.

The CR has conducted a survey from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) to Kalyan to identify the stations where sheds need to be built for passengers to wait till the rain stops.

Sunil Udasi, chief public relations officer of CR, said, “We have identified Mumbra, Kalwa, Thane, Mulund, Nahur, Kurla and Currey Road stations. We will set up sheds on 20 square metre area as additional holding capacity for commuters at these stations.”

A CR official said that the Railway Protection Force (RPF) will ensure that these places are not used by drug addicts leading to inconvenience for the commuters. Two-hundred-and-sixty personnel of the Maharashtra State Security Force (MSSF) have also been inducted to monitor commuters and the railway premises on a contract basis.

On September 29, 2017, a crowd gathered on the foot over bridge at Elphinstone Road station to avoid getting wet in the rain, leading to a stampede that killed 22 people and injured several others.

Meanwhile, the Western Railway (WR) has identified areas prone to flooding. On the basis of this analysis, the WR will pay more attention to certain sections including Grant Road, Elphinstone Road, Dadar, Matunga Road to Mahim yard etc.