Everyone from commuters to activists want a change in the design of local train doors to put a stop to the menace of door-blocking. Former railway officials said though the automatic door closure as in air-conditioned (AC) locals is a permanent solution, reducing the gap between railway platforms and coaches and shifting or eliminating the door bars can curb related accidents.
Joseph Malachi, a technocrat who wants to change the existing door design, said, “Unsafe boarding is one of the major causes of deaths and injuries on railway tracks. The authorities need to work on redesigning doors and do away with the bars in the centre so that no one can hang on to them.”
Malachi is the founder of JM Design and Innovation that developed the ‘Blue Light Concept’ for safe boarding in local trains. Launched by the Central Railway in 2019, the blue light indicator just at the entrance of local trains warns commuters against boarding a running train.
Passenger activist urges on change in door design
Passenger activist and a regular Western Railway (WR) commuter Shailesh Goyal also felt that the door design needs urgent change, with elimination of the door-pole to curb its misuse.
Passenger activist and leader of Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, Siddhesh Desai said the idea has been suggested several times as the bar in the middle of the door blocks the entry of passengers, with bags of many people getting stuck in it. Many others take its support and hang outside.
Former Railway Board member believes bar on the door needs to stay
Former member of the Railway Board, Subodh Jain, however, believes that the bar needs to stay for now because the door width of local trains is much more than regular trains and the gap between the coach floor and the platform varies from 25-35cm. As no steps have been provided, passengers can’t get in without the support of the middle bar. He said such a move would be counter-productive unless the gap between the coach and platform is reduced to 20cm.
Daily commuters also want the bar to stay as it helps them board, alight and hang on to it during rush hours; in addition, they sometimes have to grab the rain water channel on top of the gate, too. Though dangerous, they said there’s no other option.
A senior railway police officer said door-blocking in local trains during rush hours poses risks to lives and also becomes reasons for fights between groups of passengers. He said nearly 100 cases of disputes between groups of passengers are reported every year in the suburban section of Mumbai, out of which over 80% are related to door-blocking incidents.
