Mumbai train halts, passengers alight, it crashes into buffer

According to CR officials, the slow train had halted and a brake test was underway when the train suddenly started again and hit the buffer end.

A suburban central railway (CR) train dashed into the dead-end buffer on platform number three at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on Friday afternoon. No injuries were reported as all passengers had alighted by the time the incident took place.

This is not the first time such an incident has taken place in the city. In 2015, a local train had hit the buffer at Churchgate station, which led to five passengers being injured. (HT Photo)

According to CR officials, the slow train had halted and a brake test was underway when the train suddenly started again and hit the buffer end. “The motorman was conducting a brake test when the incident happened. It was not done intentionally,” said a senior CR official. CR sources said that after the train halted, the motorman’s bag fell on the floor of the compartment. The motorman, who had not yet pressed the brakes on the dead man’s handle, got up to pick the bag up, which caused the train to restart.

Shivaji Sutar, chief public relation officer, CR, said, “No injury to any passenger or loss of railway property was reported in the incident.” Central railway has now launched a departmental inquiry into the matter and the train has been taken to the zonal railway’s car shed in Kurla for inspection.

Meanwhile, passenger associations have raised concerns over the safety of commuters. “The incident has occurred at CSMT, which houses the headquarters of the Central Railway. This shows the railway personnel’s lazy attitude. Passengers would have been injured if they were present in the compartment. The Railways should take the incident seriously,” said Subhash Gupta, president of Rail Yatri Parishad.

Buffers refer to devices fitted at the end of railway platforms to prevent trains from overshooting the distance on the tracks. They are installed as a precautionary measure in situations when the motorman may to fail to halt the train at the end point or in cases of brake failure.

This is not the first time such an incident has taken place in the city. In 2015, a local train had hit the buffer at Churchgate station, which led to five passengers being injured.