Title - Follow safety tips while commuting in local trains

Mumbai’s local trains which are known as the lifeline of the city becomes overcrowded during peak hours as commuters find it difficult to travel. The suburban railways carry more than 7 million passengers across the metropolis daily. Everyday officegoers and youths have to jostle for space during peak hours as they have to face a torrid time while commuting. As a result of this, several causalities occur in the metropolis. The city’s local trains is the oldest mode of transport and is one of the quickest mode of transportation.

If a person boards a train from Borivali to Churchgate then he can reach his destination after one hour and 10 minutes. On the other hand if he commutes by other modes of transport like buses and bikes then it might take him more than two hours during peak hours. Since commuting in local trains is cheaper as compared to BEST buses hence people prefer this mode of transport even though it is overcrowded. Local trains are used by students, officegoers, high profile business men in the city. The train becomes overcrowded during peak hours from 7 am to 10 am in the morning and 6 pm to 10 pm in the evening. It is a herculean task to commute during the peak hours as there is no space to stand in the train forget about sitting. But then Mumbaikars have to take all these hardships in stride if they have to earn their livelihood to survive in the city.

While travelling in trains I notice people hanging outside the trains as they lose their control and fall on tracks. Often there is a risk that these people might get killed by a speeding local which arrives from the opposite direction. If a person is lucky enough then he might rescue himself by getting up from the tracks on time else he is likely to be crushed by other trains. Many times there is lack of medical aid to such persons who become victims of rail accidents. Whenever accident occurs then often I notice that the victim’s body is simply kept on the railway station for a long period of time. Sometimes there is lack of ambulance at the station as the victim’s treatment gets delayed. Many times the victim dies before he reaches the hospital due to delay in receiving medical aid. Often people don’t come forward to help accident victims as they feel that they might be questioned by the police for interrogation. Since last five years approximately 21,000 persons have died on account of railway accidents. Accident occurs due to the lackadaisical attitude of people.

Sometimes youths indulge in trains stunts like leaning out of the door when the train is in motion. Several deaths have occurred when a person’s head hits the pole which is very close to the train. While some others try to board a moving train and eventually lose their control and fall on the platforms. Many of them travel on the rooftop of trains. Even though railways have increased the voltage of electric wires which carry a current of 25,000 volts and issued warning to commuters to refrain from travelling on the top but they continue to indulge in these practices. Commuters travel in the space between two compartments which is very risky as they might fall down. In a hurry to reach their destination, people often cross the railway tracks which often results into death. Instead they could leave from their house early and wait patiently for the train to arrive. Finally, one can say most of the accidents can be averted if commuters take some safety precautions while travelling.