Commuters sceptical of Badlapur rail fencing fix

Signage put up across the Badlapur station

The first working day after the platform fencing went off without glitches, with railway officials interacting with passenger associations and keeping them informed about the project, fresh signage was also put up across the Badlapur station. With the fencing completed, railways commissioned an additional staircase on the middle foot overbridge and began barricading work for the upcoming escalator on platform 2.

Local social media channels shared images of the narrow north end of the platform, highlighting congestion. In response, railways will now shift the halt position of Badlapur-originating and terminating trains slightly southwards, where there's more space available. Several commuters told mid-day they would wait and see what further changes the railways implement before reacting. However, a few commuters expressed concerns.

"I take the 8.45 am train and used to get a seat easily. But now the entire crowd, including deboarding passengers, will be on the island platform. It's going to be chaotic. During peak hours, both platforms are packed. How is this going to be managed?" said a commuter via the anonymous social media handle Rajesh45.

Another commuter added, "Access to the west is through just two staircases that are 3-4 metres wide. During peak hours, it's difficult to reach coaches through heavy crowds. Trains are often delayed at Badlapur, so buffer time for boarding and deboarding is crucial. Platform no. 2 already has less space due to the fencing, which has further shrunk the usable area.

"In the evenings, Karjat-Khopoli trains are packed. A large number of people disembark at Badlapur, and with the smaller platform, chaos is inevitable. Fencing doesn't decongest - it only adds to the problem. Platform no. 2 never gets crowded because of platform no. 1, as there's typically a 15-20-minute gap between trains that clears the rush. You can't solve one problem by creating another."

Railway officials confirmed the middle foot overbridge staircase was commissioned on Monday. They said the halt for terminating Badlapur locals would be shifted southward by the weekend to avoid crowding on the tapering north end. "There was heavy trespassing with passengers jumping tracks from platform 1 to 2, which this fencing will now help prevent. The space behind the fencing will be tapered off to stop passenger movement in that area," a railway spokesperson said.