Central Railways finalises tender in 24 hours to build new foot over-bridge at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus

Mumbai: Apparently spurred into cutting red-tape by the recent stampede at Elphinstone Road station, the Central Railways (CR) has managed to award a tender for the construction of a foot-over bridge (FOB) within 24 hours.This new FOB, estimated to cost Rs 2.97 crore, will come up at the Mumbai CSMT-end of Kurla Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT), from where long-distance trains originate.[caption id="attachment_4215249" align="alignleft" width="380"]

Representational image. AP[/caption]CR officials said work on the FOB began on Thursday."The CR has created a record in finalising a tender in 24 hours for a new foot-over bridge at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus," Chief PRO Sunil Udasi said."The tender for the construction of this FOB opened on 14 November and was finalised on the same day. The acceptance letter was issued and physically handed over to the contractor immediately," Udasi added.Udasi informed that work on the FOB commenced from 16 November and it was likely to be completed within six months.Giving details of the FOB, Udasi said the bridge would be 6-metre wide and connect all five platforms at Kurla LTT.Twenty-three people were killed in a stampede that occurred on a narrow bridge that connects Elphinstone Road station on the Western Railway with Parel on the Central Railway in September-end.