Railway gangmen risk their lives every single day making sure that the lifeline of Mumbai - the local trains - run smoothly and safely amidst the hurdles they face
Prakash Gangaram Pawar, 57, has been working as a Gangman at the Dadar Railway station since the last 35 years. Just like Prakash, there are thousands of other gangmen working on railway tracks night and day, risking their lives in order to ensure that the railway commuters get to their destination safely. Fighting through adversities such as rough weather, accidents, derailments and more; they make sure that the suburban railway in the city never comes to a standstill. So, who really is a Gangman?
To this Prakash says, “A Gangman is a person who looks after the maintenance of the railway tracks. He explains: Like there is a 1 number line which we call down local, 2 number line is called up local, 3 number is called down through, 4 number line is Up through and 5 number line is called ST line. So in this way, we have named the different railway lines. If there are any issues or shoddy work on any of these lines then a group of Gangmen work on it and ensure that the issue is resolved in order to avoid any lapses in functioning.
Railway Gangmen at the helm of affairs as they inspect and look after the maintenance of the railway tracks
Working as a close-knit group, the Gangmen comprise about 8 to 10 people. While there are two key men for checking the tracks for any faults, the other gangmen go about rectifying other minute tasks such as no lose bolts or nuts etc. Then there’s the flagman who stands around 30 metres from the group and keeps track of train movements. If the flagman whistles or gives a signal to the gangmen members then they must stay away from the railway tracks. Self-awareness and alertness are two important aspects of a gangman’s work. That is why trust, mutual understanding, and coordination amongst one another plays a very important role in a Gangman's life.
So what is really the biggest challenge that a gangman faces as part of his daily job? With a grim on his face, Prakash shares the ordeal that they go through in their everyday lives. He adds, “Railway commuters who travel by train at times kick the Gangman working on the track while others throw bottles and some even spit on us. There are some commuters who in an attempt to spit outside the train, end up spitting on us while others who try to throw plastic bottles and frooti packets end up hurting us. Some commuters spit on us leaving our uniform stained with paan or at times even our face.”
Train commuters kick them, at times throw empty bottles and even end up spitting on the Gangmen
The western railway has provided the gangmen with facilities, safety gears, tools and types of equipment that are required for the maintenance of the tracks. The gangmen are laced with gears such as shoes, dress, jacket, helmet, hand gloves, a hammer which is about 3 kgs, closer that removes the gap between tracks and spanners to tight fit nuts and bolts which have loosened up on the tracks. The gangman starts his day at 8 am and works until late in the evening. During emergencies, these gangmen have been pushed to the limit. Most often than not you will find a gangman carrying a bag that consists of tools and safety equipment as they go about covering distances on foot while ensuring the maintenance of the tracks.
In his 35 years of service, Prakash has never witnessed any accident, mishap or met with one either. But he recalls how a fellow gangman lost his life due to the negligence on the part of the railway's commuters.
Recalling the incident that happened about a month ago, he adds, “One of our railway Gangman was working on the tracks at Mahalaxmi station when suddenly a commuter kicked him and he lost his balance. Just as the gangman lost his balance he was hit by another passing train and sustained serious injuries before breathing his last.”
While working as a gangman might sound easy and a safe job in today’s world, in reality it is much more. Besides ensuring that the tracks are properly maintained and taken care of the gangmen must double up their safety measures in order to be prepared for any untoward accident. The biggest risk that a Gangman faces is that of the moving trains while working on the railway line. The gangman has to be attentive and alert in order to ensure that he is not working on the tracks when a train is approaching or about to leave the platform. Besides that, they also have to double up as staff to pump water out of the railway tracks during the monsoon season. From patrolling the railway tracks to keeping an eye for floods on low lying tracks are few of the added responsibilities that are taken up by these track warriors.
The Gangmen also double as water pumping guys and are always ready to work under any circumstances
These railway gangmen are the real, unsung heroes of Mumbai who are mostly neglected and go unrecognized by the citizens of Mumbai. So what does Prakash have to say to the citizens of Mumbai who travel by Mumbai local trains? He humbly requests, “My only appeal to the citizens of Mumbai is that when we work on the railway tracks we face a lot of difficulties when they spit on us or kick us and even for that matter insult us. We request them to stop spitting on us or even throwing water bottles as it does cause injuries. We appeal them to understand us and pay attention to our humble requests. We are always here to serve the citizens of Mumbai and the commuters of the Mumbai suburban local trains.”
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