Panvel Motorman Incident: CRMS Seeks Toilets, Rest Rooms For Railway Staff At 8 Crew Locations

Mumbai: A recent incident at Panvel, where a motorman was detained after a complaint over allegedly urinating in the open, has brought renewed attention to the lack of basic sanitation facilities for Mumbai's suburban railway running staff. Citing the incident as a serious welfare concern, the Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) has written to the Mumbai Divisional Railway Manager, demanding immediate construction of toilets and rest rooms for motormen and train managers at eight important crew-changing locations across the division.

CRMS Calls Incident Result Of Poor Facilities

In its letter dated July 17, the union said the Panvel episode was not an isolated incident but the result of the railway administration's failure to provide essential facilities. It said running staff are often left with no option but to depend on public toilets, walk long distances in search of washrooms or, in extreme situations, relieve themselves in open areas. According to the union, such incidents are increasingly being recorded by members of the public, who then threaten railway employees with complaints to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and senior railway officials. The union said this not only causes mental harassment to employees but also damages the image of the railways. "The root cause is the absence of adequate restroom and toilet facilities at crew-changing and working locations," the letter stated.

The CRMS said it has repeatedly raised the issue in Permanent Negotiating Machinery (PNM) meetings and through several representations, but little has changed. It has identified Thane (Platforms 9 and 10), Panvel, Titwala, Badlapur, Ambernath, Vashi, Nerul and Belapur as locations where toilets are urgently needed, with Thane Platforms 9 and 10 and Panvel listed as the highest priority. The union has urged the administration to treat the issue as a basic welfare measure rather than a routine infrastructure demand. It said providing proper rest rooms and toilets would protect the dignity of motormen and train managers, improve working conditions and prevent similar incidents in the future. The move, it added, would benefit thousands of running staff who operate Mumbai's suburban rail network every day.

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