Mumbai, Jun 10 (IANS): Suburban commuters in Mumbai will soon get facilities like foot overbridges, drinking water and washrooms at stations, Minister of State for Railways K.H. Muniyappa said Friday.

Interacting with passenger associations and the general public to get first-hand knowledge of their problems, the minister visited suburban Borivali railway station and assured commuters of all steps to resolve their problems.

In the meeting that was organised North Mumbai MP Sanjay Nirupam, Muniyappa assured of better facilities like foot overbridges, drinking water and washrooms at suburban railways stations like Malad, Borivali and Dashisar.

Respond to a problem of increasing stone pelting incidents on trains, Muniyappa said that the state will seek help of the city police.

Regarding local trains that were converted from 12 coaches to 15 coaches, Muniyappa promised to expedite the building of longer platforms. "Certain platforms are not equipped for 15 coach trains. Constructing extended platforms will be taken up at the earliest," he said.

Muniyappa was also apprised of other major demands of suburban sections of Mumbai including increase in number of outstation trains for Konkan and northeastern region of the state, opening of reservation system both at Kandivli and Dahisar, additional local train services on certain corridors and stoppage of Rajdhani Express at Borivali.

Western and Central Railway general manager Kul Bhushan, additional general manager S. K. Jain, and Divisional Railway Manager (Mumbai) Girish Pillai were among senior officials present on the occasion.