FPJ Campaign: Menace of door blocking continues in Mumbai local trains

Two commuters on a Mumbai local train were thrashed by a group of passengers after they tried to block the door of a train at Diva station earlier this month. A video of the incident went viral on social media, showing the ugly brawl where a group of passengers pulled two men off the train and started kicking and beating them up. Some of the angry people also hit them with shoes, while others were seen trying to save them.

This shows that door blocking is once again back in the lifeline of the city. However, as per data provided by the Central and Western Railway (CR, WR), the number of commuters is still less than the pre-Covid era but passengers say the crush-hours are back. 

Boarding and alighting local trains at Dombivali, Diva , Thane, Mulund on CR and at Nallasopara, Vasai, Bhayandar, Mira Road on WR during morning rush hours is excruciating. The evening rush hours are particularly horrible at Dadar, Kurla, Ghatkopar and Thane on CR and at Dadar, Bandra and Andheri on WR. The condition of the Harbour line is no different.

Activists and passengers said the main reason behind the menace is the huge gap between supply and demand. However, some anti-social elements are habitual footboard travellers and make the situation worse. The Free Press Journal, one of the most trusted and oldest newspapers of the city, is highlighting the issue to ease the daily commute of lakhs of Mumbaikars.

Under this series, we will describe the problem in detail. How many cases were reported last year? Who all block the door of local trains? Why do they bully other passengers? What do passengers think about this problem? Who else is responsible? What measures are being taken by the authorities concerned?

Part I

Thirty-seven habitual footboard travellers were caught by the Western Railway (WR) in its suburban section from January 1 to April 15 and a fine of ₹7,100 was realised from them. Similarly, the Central Railway (CR) caught 125 habitual offenders from April 1, 2022 to March 31 this year and a penalty of ₹77,000 was recovered.

Railway officials said that footboard travelling is a punishable offence under the Railway Act and carries a maximum fine of Rs200. Passengers claim that the fine is not enough and stricter action must be taken by the authorities.

The president of Rail Yatri Parishad, Subhash Gupta said that these door-clockers not only risk their own lives but also make others vulnerable to mishaps. “Despite efforts to create awareness on the dangers of footboard travelling, the menace continues. During the pandemic, we saw temporary relief as fewer people travelled by trains, but now the problem is back.”

Gupta said he is pained to see young boys hanging out as the train is on the move. “Some habitual offenders refuse to remain seated even when there is space. They even alight at every station and board again as the train starts,” he said.

A senior railway officer on condition of anonymity said, “Continuous announcements are made to educate people about the risks of footboard travelling and action is taken. Investigation mostly reveals they are habitual offenders.”