Mumbai commuters face accessibility crisis at Churchgate and CSMT subways
On July 17, 2026, elderly and disabled commuters in Mumbai faced ongoing daily struggles accessing suburban railway stations like Churchgate and CSMT due to a lack of lifts and escalators at entry and exit subways. A feasibility survey conducted by authorities revealed that installing a lift at the Churchgate North Subway, towards the Marine Lines side, is not possible due to space constraints.
The accessibility gap has sparked fresh demands from advocates who argue that public transit must be inclusive for all. While thousands of commuters struggle daily, a jurisdictional divide persists between railway authorities and the local municipal corporation.
According to senior officials from Central Railway and Western Railway, the entry and exit subway areas fall under the jurisdiction of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). Consequently, the officials stated that the civic body is responsible for providing amenities such as lifts and escalators at these locations.
Efforts to reach BMC A Ward Assistant Commissioner Gajanan Bellare for comment on the issue were unsuccessful as he was unavailable.
Accessibility campaigners argue that the lack of infrastructure forces vulnerable commuters to scale long staircases. Sailesh Mishra, Founder of Silver Innings, stated that the absence of lifts, escalators, baggage trolleys, and assistance services makes daily travel highly difficult for senior citizens, disabled individuals, and passengers carrying heavy luggage.
Railway activist Samir Zaveri called on authorities to prioritise these facilities, citing Sections 41 and 45 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, which mandate accessible public infrastructure. Zaveri noted that subways without these amenities effectively exclude persons with disabilities from public spaces.
Senior citizen activist P. N. Singh shared that many elderly passengers have stopped using train travel altogether because climbing the stairs has become too difficult. Prakash Narayan Borgaonkar, CEO of Aaji Care Sevak Foundation, highlighted that nearly 1.6 million senior citizens in Mumbai depend on public transport and urged the implementation of Maharashtra and BMC senior citizen policies to make the city age-friendly.
