Children risk their lives crossing tracks amid Mahim FOB closure

The dilapidated foot-over-bridge will remain shut for 15 days for urgent repairs, according to Western Railway

- Shreya Jachak

MUMBAI: Every morning for the past three days, groups of schoolchildren, some as young as eight, have been putting their lives on the line—quite literally—to get to class. With repair work shutting down the key southern foot-over-bridge (FOB) at Mahim station, hundreds of residents from the east side, including students and daily commuters, have been left with no safe passage to the west.

The bridge was closed on April 15 for urgent repairs by Western Railway. Mahim station FOB, which lies at the intersection of the Western and Harbour lines, is a critical link for thousands of commuters. Yet, in the absence of a viable alternative, many have resorted to walking across the active railway tracks—a risk that has already claimed far too many lives.

In 2024 alone, 1,151 people died while crossing railway tracks in the city's suburban rail network, according to official data.