'Turn the 9-rake to 12, hold the 15 for now'

NRMU is protesting the Railways' move to introduce more 15-car rakes, claiming that they carry fewer passengers and cause greater inconvenience

Going by the evaluation of the National Railway Mazdoor Union (NRMU), 15-car rakes, which are being introduced by the railway authorities, will not prove to be beneficial for passengers commuting on the suburban railway network. Due to the greater length of the 15-car rakes, the tracks can accommodate only 15 of these in an hour. The same tracks can accommodate as many as 18 of the comparatively shorter 12-car rakes in the same duration. Thus, in an hour, the 12-car rakes actually transport a greater number of passengers than their 15-car counterparts. The single 15-car rake, which has been introduced in the Western Railway (WR) line, has received mixed responses.


Off the track? The National Railway Mazdoor Union says the 15-car
rakes, which are being introduced by the railways, will not benefit
passengers commuting on the suburban railway network. file pic

Au00a0 senior official said, "Initially, we received complaints that passengers were rather confused on the coaches, especially female commuters. Besides, the train is rather long, as a result of which it takes a longer time to move in and out of the station."u00a0 NRMU has written a letter to the senior officials of the Railways, requesting them not to introduce any more 15-car rakes. Venu P Nair, divisional secretary, NRMU, pointed out that the railway administration is yet to convert all 9-car rakes into 12-car rakes. He said,u00a0 "The railway authorities should first concentrate on converting all nine car rakes into 12 car rakes, before considering the ambitious plan of bringing more 15-car rakes into the picture. Besides, the authorities are mistaken in their belief that the 15-car rakes are better equipped to carry a greater number of passengers."

Survey findings
NRMU conducted a survey in February earlier this year, on the basis of which it sent the letter addressed to the divisional railway manager (DRM), Central Railways (CR). In course of the survey, NRMU members spoke to hundreds of passengers, and also visited the stations. "We discovered that there is no infrastructure in most of the stations to run 15-car rakes: neither at CST, nor in the harbour line. There is no way that the 15-car rakes can ply smoothly, since increasing the length of platforms is not an option. Moreover, sheds and platforms, which are necessary for the 15 car rakes, are nowhere to be found," said Nair.

Plans
On the WR network, the 15-car rake only plies on fast tracks, due to the lack of infrastructure. This rake does not halt at some fast track stations, like Mumbai Central, Dahisar, and Naigaon. However, WR is planning to increase the length of the platforms at these stations, so that 15-car rakes can halt at these stations as well.u00a0 The CR, not to be left behind, plans to run 15-car rakes on fast track platforms like CST (platform no 7), Dadar, Thane, Dombivli, Kalyan and Karjat.

Miscalculation
"It appears that the railway authorities have not done adequate background work to evaluate the feasibility of their venture. According to our data, the average inter-signal distance in the Mumbai division is 400m, while the length of the 15-car rake is 350m," said Nair. "A 15-car rake will take as long as three minutes and 51 seconds to clear the station," he added.

Motorman speaks
Even the motormen and the guards are skeptical about the viability of the new venture. Currently, motormen are given nearly eight minutes to interchange driving cabs. "During rush hour, it becomes very difficult for us to walk the crowded stretch from one end of the train to the other, to interchange driving cabs.u00a0 If 15-car rakes are introduced, we will have to walk greater lengths in the same duration. This will lead to stress and fatigue," complained a motorman, who discouraged the move.

Protest under way
NRMU is also planning a morcha to protest the move, in course of which it will generate awareness about the negative consequences of introducing 15 car rakes. "We have calculated that if 15-car rakes are introduced, only 15 trains can ply in an hour. With 12 car rakes, nearly 18 trains can pass through the stations in the same duration. This means that the 12 car rakes are transporting a greater number of passengers in the same duration. This is beneficial to passengers," said Nair.

The Other Side
A K Singh, PRO, CR, said, "Our first priority is to convert all the trains into 12-car rakes from 9-car rakes. We will think about introducing more 15-car rakes only after that task is successfully undertaken."

Must-haves
Infrastructure required for 15 car rakes:
>Length of platforms have to be increasedu00a0
>The signalling system has to be reworked
>Sheds have to be reconstructed
>Entry and exit points have to be designated afresh
>Overhead wiring has to be made more powerful

Did you know?
CR has a total of 117 rakes, out of this 67 are 12-car rakes, and 50 are 9-car rakes. The CR offers a total of 1,573 services every day. WR has a total of 76 rakes, out of which 68 are 12-car rakes, one is a 15-car rake, and 7 are 9-car rakes. WR offers a total of 1,210 every day.