Shut Since Bandra Demolition, Station's Foot-Over-Bridge Exit Has No Warning Signs: How Commuters Paying The Price
Shut Since Bandra Demolition, Station's Foot-Over-Bridge Exit Has No Warning Signs: How Commuters Paying The Price Published By, Edited By Last Updated: June 01, 2026
Shut Since Bandra Demolition, Station's Foot-Over-Bridge Exit Has No Warning Signs: How Commuters Paying The Price Published By, Edited By Last Updated: June 01, 2026, 13:31 IST Passengers heading to Bandra Terminus climb an entire flight of stairs with luggage and elderly relatives, only to find the exit shut and a notice telling them to turn back. The Garib Nagar demolition drive, carried out between May 19–23, cleared an encroachment cluster in Bandra East. Commuters at Bandra suburban railway station are climbing an entire foot overbridge — luggage in hand, elderly relatives in tow — only to find a notice at the top telling them to turn back. The eastern exit of the station’s central FOB has been intermittently closed since mid-May due to post-demolition debris work near Garib Nagar, but warning signs remain absent at the base of the stairs on Platforms 2 to 7, where they could actually make a difference. Railway security personnel have faced the fallout. “What can we do? Passengers don’t complain at the right avenue," a security official was quoted by Mid-day.
A platform vendor was blunter: “Closing of this exit was announced only for five days initially. Later, their work extended. How tough was it for the officials to erect a few notices at appropriate spots?" What Did The Spot Check Find? A Mid-day report stated that they visited A Friday visit by Mid-day found no closure notices at FOB entry points on Platforms 2 to 7. The only signage was at the Platform 1 entrance — at the wrong end for most passengers. Commuters carrying trolley bags, and those accompanied by elderly relatives, had no advance warning before committing to the climb. What Exactly Is Garib Nagar Demolition, And Why Does It Matter? The Garib Nagar demolition drive, carried out between May 19–23, cleared an encroachment cluster in Bandra East. The area has long carried cultural weight — the late actor-politician Sunil Dutt lived in a bungalow nearby and spent years championing the welfare of residents there. After the drive ended, debris-clearing work continued, causing the eastern FOB exit to open and close without any consistent public communication.
Bridge Status Serves passengers heading to Churchgate-side FOB Open BKC / Bandra East Central FOB (eastern exit) Intermittent (10am–6pm closed) Garib Nagar side / Bandra East Borivli-side FOB Open Bandra Terminus What Are Passengers Saying? Daaitwa Ahuja, an occasional commuter from Powai, told Mid-day she saw no board warning of the closure on her way up. “I would request the responsible authorities to install clear visible boards with multiple languages at the appropriate spots, like the start of the stairs," she said. Tourist Anmol Pandey was more distressed — travelling with family and trolley bags, running late for a train from Bandra Terminus. “There was no notice on the platform informing about the closed exit. Now that we have climbed the stairs, we got to know that it’s closed." Rakesh Kumar, 70, from Goregaon, put it plainly: “They should have put notice boards at the stair entrances so that passengers could have changed their path accordingly." What Does Western Railway Say? A Western Railway spokesperson told Mid-day that the bridge closure between 10am and 6pm is for passenger safety during debris clearing, and that it remains open at all other times.
“Passenger inconvenience is regretted," the spokesperson said, adding that debris work was “near completion" and the bridge should be fully open “by tomorrow evening." Cold comfort for those who already made the climb. News18 Newsletter Handpicked stories, in your inbox A newsletter with the best of our journalism submit First Published: June 01, 2026, 13:31 IST News cities mumbai-news Shut Since Bandra Demolition, Station's Foot-Over-Bridge Exit Has No Warning Signs: How Commuters Paying The Price Disclaimer: Comments reflect users’ views, not News18’s. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy Loading comments...
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