CR to follow in BMC footsteps, post clean-up marshals

Mumbai: Clean-up marshals on the lines of those in BMC will be deployed by the railway to fine commuters who litter or dump garbage on the railway track and near platforms. This comes a day after none of central railway’s (CR’s) stations featured in the top 10 cleanest stations in the country. The CR plans to send a proposal to the Railway Board (RB) in which marshals will be outsourced.

Although officials said that CR has not yet decided on the amount of the fine, changes will be made in regulations that fall under the commercial department of the railway, which might take a few days.

The CR has been struggling with choked drainage leading to flooding on tracks during the monsoon and eventually complete failure of services. On Thursday, BMC commissioner Ajoy Mehta along with CR officials carried out a check of pre-monsoon work on the harbour line. Sources said the clean-up marshals plan of BMC inspired the CR’s Mumbai division to customise the plan for its railway line.

When asked about the plan, CR divisional railway manager Ravindra Goyal said that it was in its nascent stage. “We will have to see how it can be worked out with the RB as it will mean a change in rules that are currently implemented pan-India.”

The CR has seen choking on the harbour line in areas such as Guru Tegh Bahadur Nagar (GTBN), Vadala and Kurla and on the mainline at Vikhroli, Diva and Dombivali.