During the morning rush hour, as hundreds scramble to board suburban trains at Dombivli station, a serious safety hazard emerges on platform number five — particularly at the Kalyan end, where women commuters wait. The designated space for women is dangerously inadequate for the length of 15-coach trains, and broken tiles and damaged fencing only add to the risks.

When this correspondent asked women commuters how they cope with the overcrowded, unsafe space, one retorted sharply: “What is your problem? We will stand however, we have to. Please don’t take photos. If you have any objections, take them up with the railway authorities.”