Punctuality has taken priority over safe operations: Rly unions

Railway authorities said that the near-mishap at CSMT occurred as the need to run more trains has gained prominence but has impacted the safety of train operations

MUMBAI: After the near-accident on Tuesday at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), where two trains came face to face on the same line, railway unions have alleged that the punctuality of trains has taken priority over safe train operations.

At present, Central Railway (CR) operates 1,820 daily services, 46 more than the 1,774 services it ran in 2021-22. (Raju Shinde/Hindustan Times)

On Wednesday, the railway authorities said that the near-mishap occurred as the need to run more trains has gained prominence but has impacted the safety of train operations. At present, Central Railway (CR) operates 1,820 daily services, 46 more than the 1,774 services it ran in 2021-22.

CR officials said that for the past few years, trains had been stopping before signals that were closer to the platforms. In Tuesday’s incident, the train halted before the signal that led to platforms 5 and 6. Previously, trains would halt at least 200 to 300 metres before the station.

“Around five to seven years ago, a train used to halt before the signal from where it proceeded on this line towards platform 6. However, to improve punctuality and increase the turnaround time of trains, they are taking trains closer to platforms at most terminal stations,” said a CR official.

This mishap was narrowly averted following an apparent routing error. “If trains are stopped well before the station, it improves the chances of safe running,” said a railway union leader. “In this case, thankfully the train inside the station had not received a signal to depart, else it would have been a disaster.”

CR officials said that the Badlapur-CSMT fast local entering CSMT was wrongly given clearance for platform 5 instead of platform 4, which was empty. The station master has been suspended.

“There is also a need to look at the pressure under which the staff is working. Every day, CSMT alone sees over a 1,000 local services besides the long-distance trains that are handled at the control cabin,” said another CR official.

The speed of the Badlapur-CSMT train was barely 10-15 kmph and could be brought under control immediately. Officials said the distance between the two trains was 100 to 130 metres. The only way to restore the path was to reverse this train, which is considered an “accident” in railway parlance. At around 3.40 pm, the train was reversed until it reached the yellow signal, after which the route was reset.