Yogesh Sadhwani and Virat A Singh mirrorfeedback@timesgroup.com TWEETS @_MumbaiMirror
Days after the Monica More accident at Ghatkopar, Central Railway officials continue to pass the buck, blaming railway ministry policies for not being able to reduce the gap between platforms and rakes. While citing restrictions on raising the height of platforms, the officials have also blamed commuters for being reckless and trying to board running trains.
Mirror, however, visited Kasara, Khardi and Atgaon stations, and nailed CR’s lie. At all three stations, located on the Kalyan-Kasara route, the gap between rakes and platforms measures 18 to 20 inches, and at some spots even goes up to 21 inches.
While the prescribed gap should be between 13.46 inches and 17.2 inches, officials say they try to ensure it does not exceed the acceptable 14 inches. However,atallthreestations,thenorm is violated, making them the most dangerous stations on the suburban route.
What’s more, the gap is not just in terms of height between the platform and rakes, but also the distance forward of the footboard from the platform. Thus, while negotiating the height,passengershave to also make sure they take a huge step forward to reach the footboard, thereby magnifying their risk of falling in the gap.
The incidents of commuters falling into the gap at these stations have been numerous. In 2013 alone, eight cases of people falling into the gaps and either losing their lives or getting badly injured were reported at Kasara. Several such incidents occurred at Khardi and Atgaon too, but went unreported as no one was seriously injured.
Kasara, which caters to over 10,000 commuters each day, has four platforms. The gap between the rakes and platforms here is between 18 to 20 inches, and at some stretches, goes up to 21 inches.
At Atgaon which has two platforms and caters to around 3,000 commuters daily ,the gap is 18 inches. And so is the case at Khardi, which caters to over 3,000 commuters on an average day. With people falling into gaps at these three stations not all that rare an occurrence, the regular commuters here have turned vigilant to such incidents. “With the Railways not bothered to do anything about the gaps,dailycommutershavelearnttobe very alert,” said Vijay Manohar, a 25-year-old vendor who helped pull out at least a dozen people last year.
“As soon as someone falls into the gap, one of us rushes to alert the guard or motorman not to start the train until the person is brought up. Fortunately, in most cases last year, people escaped with bruises because this is a starting point for trains,” he added.
Khardi resident Vishal Jadhav, a member of the local passenger association, said that barely a week passes without someone falling into the gap. “Over here, it’s not just the gap between rake and platform in terms of height, but also the distance between the platform and the rake that poses a threat,”Jadhavsaid.“Thankstothecallous approach of the Railways, our commuters have all become boarding specialists,” he added with sarcasm.
So what has the Railways done about these death trap? Nothing, if you ask Rajesh Ghanghav, advisor of the Kalyan Kasara Railway Passengers Welfare Association and vice-president of the Mumbai Suburban Railway Passenger Association.
Ghanghav told Mirror that in the past two years the associations have taken up the issue of gaps at Khardi, Atgaon and Kasara with senior Railway officials a dozen times. “We have given them multiple representations. Even station masters have given submissions to their superiors, asking them to do something since so many accidents take place here,” said Ghanghav.
“This is nothing short of criminal negligence on the part of CR. People are getting injured, maimed and even losing their lives because of CR’s insensitive approach. If only they pay heed to our pleas and raise the height of platforms, it will be a huge relief for us and scores of accidents both minor and major can be averted,” Ghanghav added.
Of the 11 stations the lie between Kalyan and Kasara, eight have been fixed in the past five years. But Khardi, Atgaon and Kasara have been left untouched. The platforms of all three stations have not been raised, and the gaps have remained as they are for years.
But CR officials are busy defending themselves by claiming that the platforms of these three stations meet the norms and their height is as per rules laid down by the Railway ministry.
Atul Rane, CPRO of CR, claimed that height of the platforms is as per rules laid down by Railway ministry. “At Atgaon the height is between 810 mm and 950 mm, at Kasara it is 770 mm to 920 mm, and at Khardi it is around 850 mm. We thus meet the standard of keeping the platforms between 760 mm and 840 mm,” said Rane.
CR is unable to explain that if the height of the platforms is as per norms, how is it that the platforms do not meet the norms pertaining to the gap between rakes and platforms. The numbers just do not add up.
Members of a commuters’ association measure the gap between coaches and platform at Atgaon (L), Kasara (top R) and Khardi
