Mind the gap

Commuters, especially women and children, have to do a high jump to climb aboard trains at many stations, often at the risk of their lives, thanks to the raised rakes

Commuters, especially women and children, have to do a high jump to climb aboard trains at many stations, often at the risk of their lives, thanks to the raised rakes

In a city markedly pressed for space, its excess in places where it is not needed has proved fatal for its inhabitants.

Platform 3 at Ghatkopar station is a veritable death trap, with a 23-inch gap between the train and platform

Two months into 2011 and two deaths and 15 injuries have been reported due to abnormally large vertical gaps between trains and platforms at railway stations. Since 2008, they have claimed over 250 casualties, with the most (97) reported last year.

As per railway rules, the hiatus should not exceed eight inches. But when MiD DAY visited the stations, we found that some were almost three times as big, measuring between 20 and 23 inches, at stations like Ghatkopar, Thakurli, Bhandup, Kandivli, Dombivli and many others.

At several spots on the central line, the authorities change the sleepers or crossties (the transverse beams connecting the rails of a railroad), raising the train's way over the platform, making passengers hop to land on two feet.
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Though at Bhandup station, about six months ago, the railways narrowed the gap to normal, new sleepers were fastened, again jacking up the height . Platform numbers one and four at Bhandup, number one at Dombivli, and number three on Ghatkopar, are specially bad, because the trains' halt times are also less.

Cases

Suburban railways in the city are used by nearly 70 lakh passengers. But railways have so far ignored their safety, as the gaps have proven to be graves for hapless many, statistics reveal (see box on casualties).

An unfortunate instance of the same came in the public eye in 2009, when Bhupen Shukla lost his brother Rakesh, as he was trying to board a local at Kandivli. "My brother was going to Andheri from Kandivli station.

As he tried to get into the coach, he slipped and slid through the gap and on to the track," said Shukla.

Rakesh (29) had married three years ago. At the time of his death his wife was three months pregnant. "The saddest part was that my brother was lying on the tracks for over two hours but nobody took him to the hospital. He died," said Shukla. The family had then filed a case against the railways, but had withdrawn it later.

The family chose not to claim compensation from the railways. "We didn't want their money to compensate for my brother's death. It doesn't matter, now that he is no more," said Shukla, who resides in Nallasopara.

Sharad Shah, President of Local Train Users Association, said, "The authorities should look into the matter seriously. A lot of lives are being put at stake due to their ignorance.

We have been complaining about the gap at Ghatkopar station, but nobody is listening. The low level platforms are deadly for senior citizens, children, ladies and the handicapped."

The gaps jeopardise passengers' lives every day. On February 22 this year, 23-year-old physically-challenged Sunanda Dadarao Shinde had slipped through the chink between the rake and the platform while boarding a CST-bound train at Thakurli and injured her head. But she was among those lucky enough to escape death.

Officialsspeak

Officials claim that the gaps occur when the tracks are lifted for maintenance-related work, specially so after the railways replaced the wooden sleepers on the track with concrete ones.

Sharat Chandrayan, Chief PRO, Western Railway, said, "The gap is due to the track lifting work done which is a continuous process. There are few stations for which the gap is larger than specified and we have started the work of raising such platforms."

V A Malegaonkar, Chief PRO, Central Railway, said, "The gap between the train and the platform is decided according to the schedule of dimensions.
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Sometimes, for maintenance of the track, it has to be lifted. So the gap looks larger. We will take corrective measures to level gaps as per the rule of railways wherever they are more than specified."

The WR has sanctioned nearly Rs 8 crore to raise the platforms at 40 stations. And work is in progress at Charni Road, Mahim, Borivli, Nallasopara, Goregaon, Malad, Kandivli, Bandra, and Santacruz stations. The CR will begin work at Bhandup, Kurla, Thane, Mulund and Ambernath, officials said.

First hand account
Recently, Bhavna Ghedia (46), a resident of Andheri East, had a narrow escape when the void threatened to engulf her. "I had a very bad experience when I was waiting for a train to Virar. The cleft between the train and the platform was a lot. As I tried getting in, my saree got caught in my sandal and I tripped. u00a0The train began moving and I jolted backwards, and lost my footing. Since then, I have not been travelling by train," she said.

Doc speaks
Other than the obvious hazard of death and injury, there are other risks that these crevices pose to you. Dr Pradeep Bhonsle, professor and head of the department, orthopedics, KEM Hospital, said, "Getting in and out of the train with the unusual gap can cause strain in the back and ankle of commuters. Also, there are high chances of damaging ligament tissues. A fracture can occur if they try to jump off in a hurry from such trains. But more dangerous is the strain to the joint ligaments than a crack in the bone.

Voices
The gaps are scary, specially for ladies and senior citizens. I have seen many passengers falling through the large lacuna between the train and the platform.u00a0u00a0
Sharda Sawant, security personnel at CST, who commutes daily from Bhandup

There are no announcements warning passengers of the risky gaps which catch them unawares, especially during peak hours. The gap at Kandivli station is specially dangerous.u00a0
Ramchandra Gupta, daily commuter between Kandivli and Churchgate