Railways mulls setting up flap gates at Mumbai’s Andheri, Churchgate, LTT stations

After the introduction of Metro-style flap gates at the outstation terminus of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), the railways are now contemplating introducing

After the introduction of Metro-style flap gates at the outstation terminus of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT), the railways are now contemplating introducing similar set-ups at local suburban railway stations for crowd management.

WR is considering setting up flap gates at Churchgate and Andheri railway stations. (HT Photo)

A study regarding passenger traffic and movement on railway platforms and entry and exit gates was conducted by the Western Railway (WR) in October.

The railway is now awaiting a final nod from its headquarters to install flap gates at Churchgate railway station as a pilot project. “It is in the initial phase of discussions. We are also planning to introduce the gates at Andheri railway station. Detailed study and inspection of passenger movement, along with an evaluation of passengers heading towards Metro stations will also be looked into,” said a senior WR official.

Central Railway (CR) is planning to introduce the flap gates at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT).

In order to streamline passenger traffic and avoid overcrowding outside railway stations and on platforms, the railways are looking into introducing a limited number of gates initially.

Passenger associations believe that the concept of flap gates at suburban railway stations is likely to fail due to the number of commuters who travel daily, especially during the morning and evening peak hours.

“The gates will be of no use at local train stations because 80 lakh passengers travel daily on the CR and WR lines. It will be impossible to inspect, open and close the flap gates as it can lead to overcrowding outside the railway stations. The only way to control crowd movement is to implement changes in office timings of private and government offices,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.

Presently, the flap gates with quick-response (QR) codes have been set up at CSMT at the outstation entrance of the railway terminus. However, passengers can also enter through the P D’Mello entrance that does not have flap gates installed.

Passengers have to display the QR code generated on their e-tickets at the entry points of the station for the validation of their tickets. The tickets will be generated through the Indian Rail Catering Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) website.

Those purchasing tickets from the booking windows will receive QR codes on their mobile phones.