Mumbai local train safety: No constable after 11.30 pm? Kalyan-bound woman passenger raises alarm

Meenu Dugal. PIC/BY SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

For women travelling alone on a Mumbai local late at night, an empty ladies' compartment can raise more questions about safety than provide reassurance. A 35-year-old accountant from Kalyan has flagged the lack of visible security on late-night services, particularly during long halts between Thakurli and Kalyan, and said she faced difficulties while trying to reach the railway women's helpline

Meenu Dugal, a frequent commuter who travels between Nahur and Kalyan daily, shared her experience with mid-day.com, revealing how women travelling alone on Mumbai's local trains late at night may not always have a safe journey.

She has raised concerns over the lack of visible security in ladies' compartments during late-night services, long halts between Thakurli and Kalyan, and difficulties in accessing the railway women's helpline.

Meenu Dugal, who works in Nahur and travels towards Kalyan daily, told mid-day.com that she regularly boards whichever train is available for Kalyan and usually travels between 11.30 pm and 12.30 am. She said she often finds herself as one of the only passengers in the ladies compartment.

"I usually take the compartment close to the motorman. Most of the time, I am the only passenger sitting in the female compartment," Dugal said.

According to Dugal, while Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and other security staff may be present on late-night trains, they do not always remain in the ladies' compartments for the entire journey.

She said some personnel told her they get down at Thane or Thakurli as it is more convenient for them to catch another train towards Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT).

‘I was asked to shift to the general compartment'

Dugal said she has raised concerns about travelling alone with security personnel but was advised to move to the general compartment.

"When I raise concerns about my safety to the RPF personnel and constables, they ask me to shift to the general compartment. I don't find that safe either. That shouldn't be the solution. We need security that will take care of female commuters and look after our safety," she said.

She said the issue becomes more concerning when trains are delayed or halted for long periods during the night.

"Many times, the train halts between Thakurli and Kalyan for around 30 minutes. I have also tried to raise this and tried calling the railway women's helpline number, but no one receives the call," she alleged.

Dugal said her journey from Nahur to Kalyan already takes around an hour, with prolonged halts adding to her travel time late at night.

‘If security is present and this happens, imagine when there is none'

An incident she witnessed earlier this month has further heightened her concerns.

Dugal said that on August 11, at around 11.28 pm, a drunk man allegedly entered the ladies compartment despite security personnel being present near the coach entrance.

"There was a situation on August 11 where a drunk man entered the ladies compartment even when the security personnel was standing near the compartment gate. Situations like this occur when there is security. Imagine how unsafe it is when there is no security available," she said.

Dugal said she happened to find security personnel at the station during her August 28 journey, but claimed their presence was linked to their own onward travel.

"In the video, I luckily found security force that day. They were waiting at the station as they wanted to go to CSMT," she said.

Meenu Dugal said a drunk man allegedly entered the ladies compartment on August 11, at 11.28 pm, despite a security personnel being present near the coach entrance.

Her concerns highlight a larger question for women using Mumbai's suburban railway network late at night: whether the presence of security personnel elsewhere on a train is enough when women are travelling alone in designated ladies compartments.

Passenger association suggests grouping ladies compartments

Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh (MRPS) president Madhu Kotian said security personnel should remain near or inside ladies compartments during late-night services.

"The security personnel must stay in the female compartments during the night time for their safety," Kotian said.

However, he acknowledged that deploying separate security personnel in every ladies compartment could be difficult because of manpower constraints.

"If there are three ladies compartments, it is not possible for the Railways to arrange that many security officers as the Railways do lack manpower," he said.

Kotian said the MRPS had earlier suggested an alternative to the Indian Railways, placing all three ladies compartments together near the motorman's compartment rather than having them spread across the train.

"That way, even if there is one constable in the middle of the bogie, that can help with security and keep an eye on all three coaches," he said.

Central Railway speaks

"Efforts are being made to ensure that every train is adequately manned during night hours to ensure the safety of female passengers. Appropriate action will also be taken against the home guard personnel who was deployed," Central Railway CPRO Dr Swapnil Nila told mid-day.com.

The RPF is also collecting details of the train from the passenger concerned to ascertain the circumstances of the incident, he added.