Mumbai: RPF to announce station names beforehand to curb chain pulling incidents by passengers

Mumbai: RPF to announce station names beforehand to curb chain pulling incidents by passengers

According to data provided by CR, during the last year, stations like Dadar, LTT, Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Kasara and Karjat saw an increase in chain pulling incidents.

Kamal MishraUpdated: Sunday, January 02, 2022, 10:33 PM IST
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Following an increase in chain pulling cases at night by passengers who doze off before their destinations, the Railway Protection Force has decided to use a novel method to curb the nuisance – RPF personnel will loudly announce the name of the next station to wake up sleeping passengers.

According to RPF sources, each train has three RPF personnel on board and each will cover four coaches with their wake up calls.

“Our constable will get off at stations, and thump on coaches to wake up dozing passengers and announce “Next Station Kalyan, Agala Station Kalyan, Pudhacha Station Kalyan” to wake up sleeping passengers. Passengers often doze off before their destinations and then pull the emergency chain to stop the train if they have missed their destinations, leading to an increase in chain pulling incidents. Each chain pulling causes a delay and disrupts the schedule of the next train,” an officer said.

This will be implemented from Monday on Central Railway’s Mumbai division on trains arriving into Mumbai city in the night including, Howrah-CSMT Mumbai Mail via Nagpur, Hyderabad-Mumbai CSMT, Hussainsagar Express. Nizamuddin-Ernakulam Mangala Lakshadweep Express, Secunderabad- Mumbai Devgiri Express and Firozpur-Mumbai CSMT Punjab mail.

According to data provided by CR, during the last year, stations like Dadar, LTT, Thane, Kalyan, Igatpuri, Kasara and Karjat saw an increase in chain pulling incidents.

Dadar witnessed around 100 per cent more incidents in 2021. In 2021, a total of 1,361 cases of chain pulling were registered at these seven stations, which is more than double compared to 2020. In 2020, only 628 cases of chain pulling were registered in this section of the Mumbai division.

In 2021, a total of 437 chain pulling cases were reported only in the Kalyan area of Mumbai Division followed by Kasara which reported 209 cases.

Confirming the development, a senior Central Railway officer said, “when we analysed why the cases are going up, we realized that passengers sleep off the night before their destinations are one of the main reasons. Hence, we decided to alert passengers well in advance before the train approaches these stations.”

The act of Alarm Chain Pulling (ACP) by rail passengers without any valid reason is a punishable offence and they could be facing both cash penalties as well as imprisonment.

Apart from alerting passengers, the RPF has strategically planned ambush checks at several sections prone to such incidents.

Misuse of the inter-communication chains or alarm chains, on the mail, express, and passenger trains are affecting punctuality and causing a headache to Railways as it leads to operational loss. The chains have been provided for passengers facing safety or security issues to communicate with the guard and the loco pilot. Chain pulling for frivolous reasons is punishable with imprisonment up to three months or a fine up to Rs 1,000 or both.

"This facility of ACP is provided for the passengers only in case of extreme circumstances when there is an immediate threat of any untoward incidence like fire/fallen down or heinous crime taking place inside the coach. But it is realised that even over the flimsy grounds of not getting up on time and sometimes excess luggage to unload is found to be the main reason," said Jitendra Shrivastava, senior division security commissioner of CRs Mumbai Division.

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