Panel tours stations to hear out commuters

Railway Ministry-appointed Passengers Amenities Committee visit railway stations across city to learn what passengers want. HT takes a look at some important points raised.

Mumbai: What amenities do Mumbaiites enjoy at railway stations in the city? If we ask any commuter, there will be legitimate demands and highlighting of needs that the railway stations here lack. The same was echoed by the Railway Ministry-appointed Passenger Amenities Committee (PAC) that visited 13 stations on both Central and Western Railways over the last four days.

Panel tours stations to hear out commuters

The committee members arrived in Mumbai from different parts of the country on May 5. The stations visited were Dahanu, Palghar, Boisar, Virar, Nalasopara and Borivali on the Western Railway; Karjat, Badlapur, Kalyan, Dombivli, Diva, Thane and Dadar on the Central Railway.

The committee has the mandate to speak to the local rail passenger associations, the commuters and based on their observations, a detailed report is then sent to the Railway Ministry. This report, based on the suggestions, is then submitted to the local rail authority, which then implements whatever is possible.

“We have tried to incorporate every possible amenity that is lacking here at the railway stations; be it the crowded stations, availability of water, condition of toilets to the upgrade in overall infrastructure. These suggestions were noted and will be sent to the ministry,” said Kailash Verma, member, PAC.

The rail officials stated that they assisted the PAC in every way possible. The PAC has six members and is headed by a chairman; their tenure ends in July after spanning for two years.

Hindustan Times pored over some of the issues that the PAC learnt from the commuters and some of the suggestions made by the panel to the rail authorities at six railway stations on CR and WR.

The Stations Visited:

Station: Dahanu, Palghar (WR)

Issue: Frequency of trains starting from Dahanu are far and few.

PAC suggestions: Kailash Verma, a member of the committee and a part of the inspection team, said the main complaint of the local commuters is that the frequency of trains starting from Dahanu are far and few. There is a need to reduce the headway between the two train services. As the long-distance trains also halt here, there is a need for coach indicators and even CCTVs. With two more lines planned on the stretch, the need arises to augment the number of FOBs, escalators and lifts.

Commuter-speak:

Dahanu station is not only the farthest suburban railway station on the Western Railway but is also a vital halt for long distance trains. Considering this, there is a need to improve the frequency of suburban local trains to at least 20 minutes especially during peak hours.

— Prathmesh Prabhutendulkar, Resident of Dahanu

Station: Virar (WR)

Issue: Need more ticket counters, working ATVMs

PAC suggestions: Virar is one of the most crowded stations on the Western Railway. The PAC said there is a need for better crowd management at this station particularly at the ticket counters where they found that the automatic ticket vending machines (ATVMs) are either not working or was being run by an operator and were placed right next to the ticket counters. This led to more queues. They have suggested that working ATVMs be installed in smart zones created to segregate the crowd.

Commuter-speak:

The station is crowded especially during the peak hours. That’s why there should be more ticket counters and working ATVMs. As offices have moved to Bandra and Andheri, there is a need to run more trains from Virar, whose final halt is these stations, rather than taking them all the way to Churchgate.

Sanket Thakur, Resident of Virar

Station: Borivali (WR)

Issue: Entry/exit is perennially crowded.

PAC suggestions: This is a vital station, but its entry/exit is perennially crowded. The PAC suggested that the space outside the station be made commuter friendly. They want proper segregation of auto rickshaw stands outside the station on both the east and the west sides. They recommended the replication of automated barriers that force autos to drop passengers outside the station and after five minutes, they will be charged for parking. There can be a separate pick-up point as well.

Commuter-speak:

Reaching Borivali station is a headache. There is always traffic outside the stations and better traffic management is required. The BEST buses keep honking as they have little space because of autorickshaws, which park haphazardly. The problem is now compounded as there is work underway on the road outside the station.

Sanjay Jaiswal, Commuter from Borivali

Station: Dadar (CR)

Issue: Crowd management, need more space

PAC suggestions: Dadar has always been the focal point for Mumbaikars. That’s why it’s always crowded and there is a pressing need for more space for passengers. The PAC has suggested water pods with clear indicators, removal of physical chart boards on platform 5, removal of rail offices from the platforms. The PAC was informed that the CR authorities are planning revamp of platforms 1 and 2 to widen platforms. Levelling of floor of existing FOBs, realigning of taxi stands outside the station premises were also suggested.

Commuter-speak:

There are heaps of garbage dumped outside Dadar railway station, hawkers selling wares and the cabs occupy the space outside. At the station, better arrangements should be made for passengers with luggage so that it doesn’t inconvenience the public at large. For this there has to be wider platforms and FOBs.

Nikhil Desai, Commuter from Dadar

Station: Diva (CR)

Issue: Clear the clutter on platforms

PAC suggestions: Over the years, Diva railway station has become infamous for trespassing accidents on tracks. The PAC has suggested clearing the clutter on the platforms that have a massive web of FOBs, which are interconnected. The food stalls, ticket counters and other amenities can be shifted on the elevated deck. Also, the completion of the road over bridge and closing the level crossing gate is urgently needed to save lives. This ROB can also be linked with rest of the FOBs which will bring relief to public.

Commuter-speak:

The number of people travelling from Diva has increased over the years and it is now among the busiest stations. A large population stay in Diva (E) but the ticket counter is on the west side. To save time, people cross the rail lines and do not use the FOBs which leads to accidents.

Aadesh Bhagat, president of Diva Railway Passengers Association

Station: Thane

Issue: Gridlocked traffic outside station.

PAC suggestions: Thane is an important station which has Station Area traffic improvement scheme (SATIS) implemented on the west side. The PAC emphasised on the need to have multi-storeyed parking that will ease the situation there. The auto rickshaws are also haphazardly parked outside, and that does not allow space for an ambulance to be parked outside. PAC has also demanded more ticket windows along with retiring rooms for passengers. For the suburban locals, they feel the need to run more Thane-bound trains.

Commuter-speak:

The railways should operate more starting trains from Thane on both Main and Trans-harbour lines as the station is heavily congested. Crowd control is essential. The need for lifts and escalators is also there are people struggle to carry luggage. The railways should also have AC waiting rooms.

Nandkumar Deshmukh, Resident of Thane