Non-operational Lifts, Escalators and Foot Over Bridges at Railway Stations of Western Railway

The question asked the Ministry of Railways to provide details on non-operational lifts, escalators, and foot over bridges at Western Railway stations, verification of these works, and actions taken against employees involved in ticket touting. The Ministry of Railways responded with a statement detailing infrastructure status, redevelopment schemes, and legal actions taken.

Asked and answered by: Asked by Shri Patel Umeshbhai Babubhai; Answered by the Minister of Railways, Information & Broadcasting and Electronics & Information Technology (Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw).

What the government said

• 191 escalators at 46 stations and 240 lifts at 86 stations are provided in Western Railway.
• 123 stations in Western Railway are identified for development under the Amrit Bharat Station Scheme.
• 23 stations in Western Railway have completed development works under the scheme.
• The government states that no lift, escalator, or Foot Over Bridge is permanently closed at any station in Western Railway.
• Temporary closures for maintenance are managed with alternate means for passenger movement.
• 65 Railway employees were arrested across Indian Railways between 2023 and June 2026, of whom 9 were in Western Railway.
• 13,580 touts were arrested and legal action was taken under Section 143 of the Railways Act, 1989.

Also in the document

• The answer does not provide specific details or a list of stations where lifts or escalators were 'shown as operational on paper while closed' as requested in part (a), instead providing aggregate counts of installed equipment.
• The answer does not specify a timeline for laying a report on physical verification in the House as requested in part (c).
• The answer does not directly address the question of 'internal collusion' in part (e), instead listing general preventive measures and arrest statistics.