Report on safer train commute: A year later, GRP suggestions yet to be implemented

Dwelling on the topic of overcrowding, the report suggested that the railways should discontinue with food stalls on platforms. On an average, there are three food stalls on every platform. According to the report, if these stalls are done away with, it could accommodate an additional 200 to 300 commuters. (Representational Image)

With almost 10 deaths reported on railway tracks every day, the Government Railway Police (GRP) in 2016 submitted a report to the railways detailing its findings and providing solutions to ensure safer commute. A year later, the railways is yet to act upon the suggestions. In the September 29 stampede at Elphinstone Road station, 23 commuters lost their lives. In the past fortnight, around 120 commuters have died in railway related accidents, the police say.

“On an average, 10 commuters die everyday while travelling on local trains. These are due to multiple factors, like falling off trains during rush hour traffic, trespassing and electrocution, to list a few. As the GRP is the law enforcement agency for the railways, deaths on tracks are probed by us. In order to understand and to try to find a solution, a study was undertaken in 2016 and a report was submitted to the railways. But till date, none of the recommendations suggested by us have been implemented,” said an official on condition of anonymity.

The report identifies 183 points across the local suburban railway services as “accident prone” with the stretch between Kurla and Mulund on the central line being “the most accident prone”. Sources said these spots were identified after studying the accident data of three previous years.

“These points were declared accident prone owing to various factors, like deaths due to falling in the gaps between platforms and footboards, entry through slum pockets where boundary walls are broken, line-crossing or falling from overbridges. Till date, these spots continue to be accident prone,” said another official.

Dwelling on the topic of overcrowding, the report suggested that the railways should discontinue with food stalls on platforms. On an average, there are three food stalls on every platform. According to the report, if these stalls are done away with, it could accommodate an additional 200 to 300 commuters.

“On an average, a commuter spends 5 to 7 minutes on a platform, either to board his/her train or alight and leave the premises. There are eateries outside platforms and therefore, having those on the platforms only occupy more space. If these are removed, at least 300 more commuters can stand on platforms. This will be a huge relief, especially for suburban commuters during rush hours when people scramble for space,” added the official.

“While the rakes have increased, the platform sizes are still the same. The offloading and boarding of passengers have increased by an average of 40 per cent. With no additional infrastructure, the crowd has to be accommodated on platforms that have been constructed around 50 years ago,” said an official.

“A case in point is Dadar station, a nodal station on the suburban railway line. It has seen the crowd increased many folds but in the last 50 years, the platforms haven’t been renovated,” added the official.

The GRP has suggested use of flip gates. “Flip gates are the best way to ensure that people don’t fall off trains. Metro is using them. Even we have suggested the railways to use them,” he said. Some other suggestions include boundary walls and manning ingress and egress points. “Line-crossing is a major problem and this happens as we have porous walls that are used to take short-cuts. These acts of trespassing, many a times prove fatal,” said the official. “Not just from the line-crossing point of view, these unmanned or porous entry and exit points make platforms vulnerable to terror attacks. The 7/11 attack is an example of how terrorists used porous ingress and egress points to execute the their operations,” added the official.

The Public Relations Officer, Western Railway, said he has not gone through the GRP report but many of the recommendations are being implemented. “On pilot basis, we are trying to have just one multi-purpose stall that would provide food, water and medicines on a few platforms. As far the issue of boundary walls goes, the same was recommended by the Committee of Member of Parliament in 2015 and by March 2018, we aim to construct them across the suburban western railway till Virar,” he said. “Regarding raising height of platforms, it has been done at 15 stations and is being carried out on 15 stations on the slow corridor and will be constructed in six months.

As far FOBs (foot overbridges) are concerned, the audit committee constituted after the Elphionstone stampede submitted its report on Monday and it is being studied,” he added. The Central Railway PRO texted saying: “I have to check if at all the report has been submitted with the Mumbai division. I will be able to comment after seeing the document.”