Staff crunch threatens the safety of over 76 lakh train commuters. FILE PIC

Machines may soon take over the work that railway staffers do, but the question is whether they would be able to ensure the safety of over 76 lakh Mumbaikars, who travel by local trains daily. Over the years, vacancies of different posts in both the Central and Western Railway sections have gone up, but the authorities are hardly concerned about filling them up. Reason: They plan to optimise the use of manpower and eventually replace it with machines.

In a meeting held with the railway authorities in Mumbai, Member (Staff) of Railway Board, Pradeep Kumar discussed various issues, which included staff crunch as well.
Cutting down on manpower Speaking on condition of anonymity, a railway official said, "There are vacancies across several departments, but we plan to go the mechanised way. Hence, we are analyzing the need for people and trying to use manpower optimally."