Closure of Elphinstone bridge staircases pushes massive crowds onto a single narrow crossing, reviving memories of the previous tragedy
A stampede-like crowd builds up at Prabhadevi as commuters use the only busy east-west bridges, while the new south-end bridge remains largely unused. Pics/Shadab Khan
Prabhadevi station is once again slipping into stampede-like conditions after the shutdown of the Elphinstone Road bridge. With its staircases closed for demolition, thousands of commuters are now funnelling onto a single narrow foot overbridge to move between the east and west, causing severe crowding during rush hours.
Immediate trigger
The chaos began after both staircases leading to the Elphinstone Road bridge were closed. These staircases, used mainly by commuters headed to Parel in the east or Prabhadevi in the west, have forced people to walk northward to access the two remaining bridges. Sources said this surge should be diverted to the newly constructed south-end bridge to prevent the north-end bridges, which also serve Parel station, from becoming dangerously congested. Prabhadevi currently has three east-west bridges: two at the north end and one at the south end.
Connectivity gap widens
Even as Western Railway (WR) and Central Railway (CR) upgrade facilities, commuters say the closure of the Elphinstone bridge without a full alternative has left a large connectivity gap. Many called the move unfair and said the pressure on a single usable crossing has made weekday crowds unmanageable.
Commuters queue tightly on Prabhadevi station’s narrow middle bridge after the Elphinstone bridge access was shut for demolition
WR has now concentrated booking operations at the Dadar end of the station, where most passengers buy tickets. Officials said they are watching the crowding closely and may open extra ticket windows at the north end booking area if required.
What Railways is doing
1 The Churchgate train shifted 50 metres behind usual halt so last coach aligns with the wider Dadar-end bridge
2 Large signage installed across platforms and entry points to guide commuters
3 RPF and GRP personnel deployed to divert crowd from the first six coaches toward the two north-end bridges, while commuters from the remaining six coaches are being guided toward the south-end bridge
4 Railways and the BMC studying whether an additional staircase can be built at the narrow west-side landing of the Churchgate-end bridge
Commuter voices
Yogesh Kokate said, “Extreme crowd on the middle bridge during peak hours. With the Elphinstone bridge gone, this exit is getting overcrowded. A mishap may occur any day.”
Another commuter, Apeksha, said, “Absolute chaos at Prabhadevi around 10 am. Waited 10 to 15 minutes for the crowd to thin out. It didn’t. Have we learnt nothing from past incidents?”
Shashank Manohar added, “Is the railway ministry waiting for another disaster at Prabhadevi? Why is there no Plan B when a key bridge is closed?”
The Elphinstone Road stampede
The 2017 Elphinstone Road stampede occurred after heavy rain, and overcrowding triggered panic on a narrow footbridge. Over 40 people died and many were injured. The incident exposed infrastructure gaps and led to demands for safer rail facilities. The central government later brought in the Indian Army to build new foot overbridges in record time.
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