A behavioural theory experiment that spelt success at Wadala, is now being replicated at other railway stations too
A behavioural theory experiment that spelt success at Wadala, is now being replicated at other railway stations too
The figures are alarming. According to the Government Railway Police (GRP), more than 2,000 people died in 2010 while crossing tracks, while this year, between January and March more than 500 people have died while crossing railway tracks. Infact, every day, approximately 10 people die while crossing tracks in Mumbai, say railway authorities.
Sleepers at Wadala station that are painted yellow
To address this issue, in 2009, the Mumbai Division of Central Railway (CR) asked FinalMile, a Behaviour Architecture firm, to study this problem, with a view to find sustainable solutions that would minimise death rates.
The model was first introduced at Wadala station, which was notorious for the number of deaths caused while people crossed tracks. "In December 2009, at a high-casualty stretch close to Wadala station, these steps were initiated (see box).
Six months prior to the experiment, this stretch of tracks had recorded 24 deaths. Six months after the Neuroscience approach, this figure was reduced to nine deaths," said A K Singh, Public Relations Officer (PRO), CR.
After the model was successful at Wadala station, "these solutions were also rolled out in other high casualty prone stations. Success rates in these stations were also similar to the Wadala experiment, ranging from 25 percent to 71 per cent reduction in deaths," said Singh.
Unlike many campaigns and awareness programmes, why is this model successful in reducing the number of deaths? Explained Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of FinalMile Consulting, Biju Dominic, "I was in the advertising business for a long time.
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That is when I came across this different way of working on the unconscious mind. It is very interesting to know how changing colours, alignment of objects etcetera, can change one's behaviour. And these changes are so subtle that a person will consciously not take notice of the changes."
The technique was applied to Wadala station and satisfied with the results obtained at Wadala station, the model has now been replicated in other stations in Mumbai including Vikhroli and Kurla. The same model, which was initiated at Vikhroli six months ago, has been a huge success. 
Biju Dominic (centre) and his FinalMile team
Railway authorities claim that the number of deaths have fallen drastically. "There has been just one death during the last six months at Vikhroli," said Singh. Vikhroli station now has painted sleepers and specially designed posters to prevent people from crossing tracks.u00a0
What did they do?
Intervention One
The team realised that the human brain needs time to process sound. "The mind is most alert when there is silence between two sounds. This is supported by a Stanford University paper by Vinod Menon, called Music and the Brain," explained Krishnamurthy. "We asked the motormen to honk twice instead of honking just once. First time when the motorman honks, the person knows that the train is approaching. The second time, the motorman does it, the person crossing the track reacts and looks for safety," said Krishnamurthy. "This system of warning has now been applied to all suburban trains on the Central Line," said Malegaonkar.
Intervention Two
Most accidents occur when people see a train approaching, yet they cross the tracks. "We need a reference point to gauge the speed of the train, and electric poles do not serve the purpose completely. So after every fifteen sleepers, the next five sleepers are painted yellow. When the train is approaching, you can see the time it takes to cross those five painted sleepers. Accordingly, the person decides whether to cross the track or not," explained Dominic. This system of painting is now being carried out at Kurla and Thane stations too. "At Vikhroli and outside Kurla stations (towards CST end), painted sleepers can be seen," confirmed Malegaonkar.
Intervention Three
Posters were put up at vulnerable spots. To give it a real feeling, an actor was hired to pose, "since the posters had to look very real," said Krishnamurthy. "The face of the man in the poster depicts fear. Once we see the fear on the person's face, it registers in our minds too. So, every time somebody tries to cross a track, the image of the man will cross his mind." Such posters can now be seen at most railway crossings, inside trains on stations all along the Central Railway.
Beginning
It was in 2009, that Dominic decided to experiment "with the mind", which he believed will prevent people from taking such risks. 
Officials of the Railway Protection Force give roses to people crossing tracks as part of their Gandhigiri drive
FinalMile, a Mumbai based consulting company, then identified stations, which are notorious for maximum number of deaths on tracks. They found out that Diva, Thane, Ghatkopar, Kurla, Mankhurd and Wadala stations have recorded highest number of deaths. "Since Wadala was the station with maximum deaths, the company started the experiment there. Now the CR in collaboration with FinalMile has taken the project to other stations on the Central line," said Vidyadhar Malegaonkar, Chief PRO for the CR.
Science
FinalMile works with multinational companies, entrepreneurs, and the government etcetera, on marketing and safety issues. "There is a part of your brain that works completely on the basis of how much you relate to the person shown in an advertisement. If you see a video of a man running across the tracks and getting hit by the train, anybody watching it will experience a jolt too. It is very natural," Dominic explained. Elaborating on the idea, he said, "This is why stick figures on cigarette packets do not work. When a person sees a human being instead of a stick figure, there is emotion involved. The human brain will never connect with a stick figure but will connect with a human being."
Problem
Dominic first came across the problem while teaching at the Central Railway Institute in Parel. "I was talking to my students about behaviour economics when they told me about this issue at Wadala station. It had maximum number of deaths caused due to track crossing. And I took it up as a challenge," he recollects.
This conversation in March 2009 led to research for 6-7 months and finally the project was launched in December, 2009. Satish Krishnamurthy who works at FinalMile, stood at Wadala station for hours together to figure out the most vulnerable spots. "We made various observations about the spots, but by the end of it, we were pretty sure that we could bring about positive changes," said Krishnamurthy.
Similarly, the group then conducted the exercise at other stations too. "We walked from Kurla to Ghatkopar, then to Vikhroli, from Thane and then to Diva to identify the problems," said Dominic. Agrees Krishnamurthy, "It is a little hectic, but there is no alternative to this in depth work. We cannot ask people to fill up questionnaires. So observation helps us the most."
Solution
Posters and imposing fines to prevent people from crossing tracks, were not effective. As the number of deaths rose, the Railways took many initiatives. Unfortunately, most of them were unsuccessful. "Fear of death while crossing tracks has to be instilled within the people. Only then will they think twice before doing it," said
Dominic.
Hence FinalMile came up with an effective and cheap solution. "We planned to come up with three separate changes, or interventions, that would be so subtle that it would unconsciously affect the traveller and aim to reduce the deaths," explained Dominic.
Result
Statistics indicate that the number of deaths at Wadala station post the implementation of these ideas has fallen by almost 75 percent. In 2009, the number of deaths was a total of 40, which fell to 10 in 2010.
"But it is not only this method which has helped in reducing the deaths. This model coupled with other campaigns and an awareness programme has prevented commuters from crossing tracks," Malegaonkar added.
Commuters
Many commuters could not guess the changes when asked. Daily travellers too did not notice a difference; something that Dominic said is the intention of the project.
While most commuters welcomed the innovative way to tackle the problem, most expressed surprise at the changes they barely realised were influencing them.
"Personally, I think it is a good initiative. Since everything else has failed, trying such alternative methods might be the key. I have seen the poster, and I think it conveys the meaning quite effectively," said Manasi Londhe, an architecture student from Bandra.
Zameer Vikamsey, who works for an advertising firm in Fort, travels from Wadala station to CST every day. "I have noticed the posters at various spots. In fact I have even noticed the coloured tracks, but never thought it was something special," he said.
Aakansha L who works for an entertainment firm agrees. "The ones that are displayed at platforms currently seem to be more preachy than effective," she said.
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