Mumbai: WR, CR come up with real-time monitoring for lifts, escalators

The lift and escalator installed by the Western Railway

Western Railway has finally found a solution to a problem affecting thousands of commuters. On Monday, it announced a "pioneering breakthrough" with a new web-based system that provides real-time updates on all lifts and escalators at its stations in the city and suburbs.

"Passengers face difficulties when escalators or lifts are not working. Escalators often stop functioning because of misuse, such as the Emergency Stop Button being pressed. It's not practical to assign staff to each escalator and lift. To address this, the Mumbai Central Division of Western Railway has developed a web-based GSM alert monitoring system for escalators and lifts. Additionally, a mobile app provides immediate updates if a lift or escalator stops working," said Vineet Abhishek, WR chief spokesperson.

Status of lift and escalator on mobile app

Currently, there are 69 lifts and 122 escalators operational at various Mumbai division stations for the convenience of passengers, especially the elderly and physically challenged.

"The maintenance staff now receives real-time notifications and alerts to fix escalators and lifts when they stop working. This system has significantly reduced downtime and improved availability for passengers," Abhishek said.

"WR's Mumbai Division has implemented the latest technology with this centralised monitoring system. It saves manpower and benefits passengers by allowing quicker responses to issues. The system manages more escalators and lifts with fewer staff, and maintenance staff are alerted via audio-visual signals on the mobile app or web app. The operational records are stored on a server, which also generates warnings if maintenance is overdue," he explained.

"We are adding more escalators and lifts each year. In the last financial year (April 2023 - March 2024), nine lifts were added to WR's Mumbai Division - two each at Bhayandar, Naigaon, and Vasai Road, and one each at Santacruz, Borivli, and Dahanu Road. Additionally, six new escalators were commissioned: two each at Khar Road and Vasai Road, and one each at Bhayandar and Naigaon," he added.

Central Railway

- Maximum cases of stoppage of escalators due to pressing of emergency stop button

- Reset system is cumbersome & time consuming, prolonged delays leading to passenger complaints

- Web & mobile App based real time monitoring and alert system

- Different alerts for different reasons for stoppages

- Reports monitoring generation, performance

69
No. of lifts at various city stations