Let go of that crowded train, RPF to tell travellers

In a one-of-its-kind initiative, the Railway Police Force (RPF) teams will be seen at Dombivali, Kalyan, Dadar and Kurla during peak hours asking commuters to refrain from getting into overcrowded trains where chances of accidents are higher. Union railway minister Suresh Prabhu had on Monday asked for a special committee to bring down the number of accidents on suburban city trains.

CR chief security commissioner A.K. Singh said that monitoring would begin on December 2. “Our initiative will begin from Wednesday and we will be talking to commuters face-to-face during the morning and evening peak hours at Kalyan-Dombivali and Kurla-Dadar. We will try our best to convince commuters not to enter a train if it is overcrowded. It will be a difficult task as Mumbaikars are hardwired to catch a particular train at a particular time,” he said.

The team that will monitor the stations during peak hours will consist of 20 officers on each platform and will also be on the lookout for commuter groups who block the entrances and do not allow other commuters who live at shorter distances. “We can take action against these people according to the RPF Act of 145 when a person is being a nuisance to other commuters,” added Mr Singh.

The initiative comes after a video of 21-year-old Bhavesh Nakate falling off a train between Kopar and Diva on November 27 went viral. The video saw huge public outcry and a demand for new services and more coaches.

Ironically, one of Mr Singh’s officers, Raj Kumar, was beaten up by a group of commuters in the Dadar-Ratnagiri Express between Nagoathane and Roha on November 25.

“The constable is a fresh recruit and was travelling to report for duty at Roha. He was dressed in civilian clothes when he confronted a group of five to six passengers who were drunk. After the argument escalated, other passengers who were known to the inebriated passengers, beat the constable up. He suffered seven stitches on the head due to the incident,” said Mr Singh.