Mumbai’s Reay Road station continues to leave commuters dependent on an unsafe east-side approach and a distant foot overbridge after the south-end FOB remained closed since 2022, with Central Railway and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation yet to resolve a dispute over the cost of a proper connection.
The station, which serves passengers travelling towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and other suburban destinations, has two foot overbridges. Commuters told Mid-Day that the south-end bridge has remained inaccessible, forcing passengers to walk towards the northern end of the platform to reach the available FOB.
The east-side approach has created a separate safety concern. Passengers said there is no proper staircase or designated pedestrian pathway at the access point. They are instead required to climb an uneven structure made of stones and rocks, descend from a narrow corner, cross three railway tracks and walk beside overgrown shrubs before reaching the main road.
Commuters have raised concerns about the route becoming particularly difficult during peak hours, when passenger movement increases. Prathmesh Choche, a Harbour line commuter, said the narrow entry and exit point could become a site of a stampede. He also cited concerns about senior citizens and women using the route, especially at night, when the area is reportedly occupied by drug users, encroachers and alcohol users.
The dispute over the station’s access has brought Central Railway and the BMC into disagreement over responsibility for the required infrastructure. Swapnil Nila, chief public relations officer of Central Railway, said the platforms at Reay Road were already connected by a FOB in the middle of the station.
Nila said the BMC, through the Maharashtra Rail Infrastructure Development Corporation, had constructed a new road overbridge. He added that the stairs on the road overbridge intended for public use were to be provided by the BMC.
A senior BMC official gave a different account of the proposed station connection. According to the official, the Reay Road road overbridge was constructed by MRIDC and it had been mutually agreed that the FOB linking the bridge to Reay Road station would be built on a 50:50 cost-sharing basis between the BMC and Central Railway.
The BMC official said the civic body attempted in May 2026 to deposit Rs 10.87 crore with Central Railway as its share of the cost, but the railway authority declined to accept the amount. According to the official, Central Railway wants the BMC to bear the entire cost of the FOB.
The BMC also said a footpath along the eastern side of the station had not been provided because the area was originally occupied by hutments. On inadequate lighting, the civic body said the concerned office would be informed. It maintained, however, that construction of the FOB, its connection to the station and related railway infrastructure would have to be resolved by Central Railway in coordination with the authorities concerned.
For commuters, the dispute has left the station without a clearly defined and accessible approach from the east. Javed Shaikh, who travels by local train to CSMT for work, said the south-end bridge had been closed for maintenance in 2022 and that passengers had been waiting for its reopening. Ainullah Khan, 63, who lives on the east side of the station, said the uneven route made reaching the station painful and difficult.
Central Railway and the BMC have not yet resolved their differences over the cost-sharing arrangement or completed a safe access route for passengers. Until those issues are settled, commuters will continue to depend on the existing middle FOB and the hazardous east-side approach.
