Borivali station installs various facilities for visually-impaired people

Mumbai's busy Borivali station has become 'blind-friendly' with the installation of braille- embossed railings and other facilities for visually-impaired people, a Western Railway (WR) official said Monday.

The aim is to make the railway station more accessible to people irrespective of their disabilities, WR's Chief Public Relations Officer Ravinder Bhakar said.

The WR, in association with an NGO and a travel company's philanthropic arm, has installed braille-embossed railings on foot-over bridges, entry and exit points and in subways at the station," he said. Braille is a tactile writing system used by visually- impaired people.

Borivali station has been strategically selected for the project as it is used by both outstation passengers as well as local commuters in Mumbai, Bhakar said.

"The railway staff will be trained to reach out to the passengers so that the facility is used optimally. The project is a step towards creating an easy, dignified and a seamless travel environment," he said.

The busy Andheri station in the western suburbs will also be made blind-friendly in near future and subsequently more stations will be taken up under the initiative, he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)