Thane: Fed up of disruptions, irate woman passenger enters motorman’s cabin

An irate woman commuter barges into the motorman’s compartment at Diva station

An irate woman commuter barged into a motorman's compartment at Diva station, following a series of disruptions that resulted in rush hour chaos on the Central Railway network on Wednesday morning. The incidents included a train delay caused by a last-minute platform change, alarm chain pulling near Badlapur, and a technical snag near Bhandup.

Expressing her frustration, the woman stated that the train was more than 25 minutes late and abruptly switched platforms from 2 to 4, causing confusion among passengers. "We requested the motorman to stop the train for a longer time, and in my attempt, I ended up in the motorman's compartment. By that point, the train had already started moving, but it stopped again to let me off. I was then directed to the ladies' compartment and later sent back to Diva from Kurla (to file a case)," she narrated in a viral video. Railway police have since filed a case against her for unauthorised entry into the motorman's cabin.

Railway officials attributed the delays to three separate incidents on Wednesday morning. An alarm chain pulling incident on the Mumbai-bound Solapur-CSMT express at Badlapur station caused a delay, followed by the female passenger boarding the motorman's cab on a CSMT-bound Khopoli local at Diva station. Her refusal to deboard further disrupted train operations. Additionally, a technical issue with a CSMT-bound fast local in the Bhandup-Nahur section resulted in a 20-minute delay.

A long queue of commuters at CSMT waiting for BEST buses

Contrary to speculation, a railway spokesperson clarified that the crowd seen in videos at Diva station was not a rail roko (train blockade) but a usual gathering of commuters, given the station's heavy footfall at level crossing gates. Among the three incidents, two disturbances were attributed to public behaviour. The spokesperson urged the public to refrain from pulling the emergency alarm chain or boarding motorman and guard compartments, as such actions disrupt train operations.

Diva station has had a history of commuter violence, with a notable incident in 2015 involving stone-pelting at running trains after a rail roko, resulting in injuries to a motorman and subsequent police intervention. Shiv Sena functionary and railway activist Adesh Bhagat said that they have called for the introduction of train services originating from Diva, but railway authorities have not yet responded.

Buses missing

Although political leaders and contract workers' representatives declared an end to the BEST bus strike, commuters still faced challenges at bus stops from Mumbai CSMT to Kurla. "The majority of BEST buses were operational today. As per records, 2,962 out of a total of 3,040 buses, approximately 97.50%, were back on the road. Additionally, 212 MSRTC buses were put into BEST service on various routes, and full operation of wet lease buses by contract drivers is expected by evening," a spokesperson for BEST stated. However, long queues persisted at Mumbai CSMT and Kurla bus stations due to a lack of buses. Commuters questioned the authenticity of the strike's end and the availability of buses.

Hunger strike

Workers from the Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) have issued a threat to go on a hunger strike starting September 11 at Azad Maidan in Mumbai if their demands for increased dearness allowance and salary correction are not addressed. MSRTC recently concluded a prolonged strike that caused inconvenience to passengers across the state. The organisation continues to grapple with financial struggles stemming from the aftermath of COVID-19-induced lockdown and restrictions. Despite efforts to recover, the MSRTC's passenger numbers remain low, contributing to ongoing financial challenges. The over-six-month strike has fuelled further losses.

25
No of minutes train services were delayed