Travel safe, follow yellow line queue at Dombivli railway station

After a 22-year-old woman commuter from Dombivli died after falling from a local train a fortnight ago, railway police are creating awareness among commuters to

After a 22-year-old woman commuter from Dombivli died after falling from a local train a fortnight ago, railway police are creating awareness among commuters to travel safe.

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The police have made markings for queue on the platforms in front of the ladies compartments at Dombivli railway station. The yellow lines have been made in front of every ladies first and second class compartments at platform number 5 of the station.

“The decision was taken after a 22-year-old Charmi Pasad died after falling from a local train due to overcrowding. Hence, both Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF) carried a survey and finalised the exact points on platform number 5 where these lines for queue needed to be painted,” said Lata Argade, secretary, Suburban Railway Passengers Association.

“This platform sees maximum passengers commuting towards CSMT during peak hours in the morning. Hence, the queue markings were made on this particular platform,” said Argade.

A GRP official said that forming a queue will help curb the chaos while boarding the local at Dombivli station. “When everybody wants to board the train first, it causes overcrowding. Hence, many choose to hang on the footboard. We have noticed that the markings help passengers form a queue before boarding. While few still break the queue, we hope the commuters will gradually start following the system,” said S Pawar, senior police inspector, Dombivli GRP.

Pawar added that the markings were made after a week of the accident on December 16, in co-ordination with RPF team.

Pasad’s incident was one of the four similar accidents which took place between Dombivli and Kopar railway station this year. Three other Dombivli residents died in separate accidents at the same spot. All the victims were travelling during peak hours via the fast CSMT local which halts at platform number 5 at Dombivli station.

“The queue system at a busy station like Dombivli will induce discipline among commuters while boarding the local,” added Argade.

Nandkumar Deshmukh, president of Suburban Railway Passengers Association, said, “At the initial stage markings have been made only in front of ladies compartments. Following the response on the same, markings would also be done in front of the general compartments,”

Commuters are already lauding the initiative.

“The new lines marked for the queue system is a good initiative by railway officials at Dombivli. We hope commuters board the local after forming a queue. This will contribute to safe travel in the trains and curb accidents caused due to overcrowding,” said Divya Acharya, 28, a commuter from Dombivli.