Title - Coming up at rly stations, 16 elevated, bulletproof platforms

The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Central Railway will install 16 elevated and bulletproof platforms, similar to bunkers, equipped with modern arms at four railway stations. Railways officials who preferred to call them morchas floated the tenders recently. “Within six months, RPF will be posted at these morchas keeping vigil and targeting any terrorists who attack,” said a CR official.

A senior CR officials said they will be placed at heights ranging from 8 feet to 24 feet, so that RPF could have bird’s eye view. Ten of them will be at Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, one of them at a height of 24 ft. Three will be between platform 1 and 7 and five between platform 8 and 18. One each will be placed before the DRM office and the GM office.

There will be one machan at Kurla station, two at LTT (including one at a height of 24 ft), and two at Thane station. “After 28/11, the need of such morchas was felt by the administration. From a height, our personnel can easily target terrorists without harming commuters,’’ said Alak Bohra, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, CR.