Mumbai: Official railway data confirms what commuters have long known: Mumbai’s railway stations are among the country’s busiest, with five of India’s 10 most crowded stations for long-distance trains located in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR).
“Despite running more special trains, holiday trains, catering to so many passengers is very challenging. “There is a need to improve the overall mechanism by the railways, at least from Mumbai. To meet the seasonal demand, CR announced 734 special trains from October 1 for the Dusshera, Diwali and Chhath Puja festivals. During the Ganpati festival last month, CR and Konkan Railway operated 320 special trains to accommodate the surge in passengers travelling to and from the Konkan region and other destinations.
We are increasing the platform length at many stations so that we can augment the length of coaches, but even that seems insufficient,” said another railway official.
Each year, it’s the same story where, despite the special trains, the rush never ceases,” said Nandkumar Deshmukh, president of the Thane Railway Pravasi Sangh.
Demand on popular routes often far outstrips berth availability, making confirmed tickets difficult to obtain. “There is a need for the railways to upgrade stations along the lines of metro rail stations. This would improve the safety. Ticketing systems also need to be improved. The situation is amplified when trains depart in short intervals, concentrating crowds around platforms, staircases and foot over-bridges.
“Mumbai is the financial capital, and it’s sure to attract people across the country for jobs and livelihood,” said Siddesh Desai, a member of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh. Railway officials said the high passenger density at Mumbai’s stations is especially evident during the festive season, when a large number of people visit their hometowns. “Passengers hauling heavy suitcases, bags and bundles of luggage jostle for space on crowded platforms, struggle to find their way through the rush and make desperate attempts to board long-distance trains during the festive season,” said a railway official.
