Western Railway’s first stainless steel pedestrian bridge to be put into operation at Bhayander Station

Western Railway has successfully undertaken various works to modernize and increase infrastructure for the comfort of passengers. As a continuation of this, a new Foot Over Bridge (FOB) will be put into operation at Bhayander Railway Station in the suburban section of Mumbai for passenger convenience and safety. It should be noted that this Foot Over Bridge is completely made of stainless steel and is the first of its kind on Western Railway.

According to Sumit Thakur – Director of Public Relations, Western Railway, the new pedestrian bridge at Bhayander Station (South End) is the first stainless steel FOB on Western Railway built with the latest structural material, an innovative design that incorporates steeper gradients wide and easier stairs, making it easier to climb. The FOB is approx. 65m long and 10m wide. This FOB will be open to rail commuters from Friday, June 3, 2022.

Giving more details, Thakur said the RDSO-approved stainless steel FOB was constructed with IRSM-44-M grade stainless steel which is suitable for coastal area infrastructure projects. The main advantages of stainless steel are resistance to corrosion; Resistance and durability; Design flexibility; Durable as it helps to reduce the carbon footprint and significantly reduce the weight of the structure. The stainless steel used contains 10-12% chromium, a key ingredient in fighting and reducing corrosion. Being on the coastal area, corrosion on mild steel (MS) FOBs is rampant and all mild steel FOBs require regular maintenance due to a highly corrosive environment. For FOB stainless steel, although the initial cost of FOB stainless steel is approx. 10% higher than normal MS FOB, overall maintenance cost becomes approx. 40% cheaper considering the lifespan of 60 years. Additionally, the new stainless steel FOB is designed for negligible lifetime maintenance, lower life cycle cost and low carbon footprint. The structural steel weight saving in the case of stainless steel is approx. 30% compared to convectional mild steel design. In its commitment to a more comfortable experience for passengers, the innovative design has been adopted where the steepness of the stairs has been reduced by approx. 4 degrees making it easy and comfortable to climb.

Thakur said passenger safety has been given top priority and the work of FOBs, ROBs, etc. are carried out at a rapid pace. These efforts will go a long way in controlling the threat of trespassing as well as tackling issues such as overcrowding on bridges, etc.