The tragic Mumbra train accident has brought the recommendations made by the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of Parliament in 2017 back into focus.
The committee had explicitly recommended the redesign of suburban train coaches to include automatic doors – similar to those found in metro systems – in order to prevent passengers from falling off moving trains.
The report had also called for an increase in the number of coaches to 15 in each train to reduce congestion.
One of the key issues identified in the PAC report was the high number of fatalities due to line crossing and trespassing, which not only endangers lives but also slows down train operations due to imposed speed restrictions. The committee had urged the ministry to prioritise the construction of more foot overbridges (FOBs) and to fence or build boundary walls along the tracks to prevent such dangerous crossings.
Importantly, the committee had also recommended a scientific study on passenger flow and congestion, suggesting that data-backed planning could help reduce recurring tragedies on the suburban rail system.
PAC proposals
* Automatic doors
* Increase number of coaches to 15
* Construction of more FOBs
* Fence or build boundary walls along tracks
