The carrying capacity of suburban trains in Mumbai has reached the end of its tether. In addition, the network is strained due to inadequacy of platform space and FOBs and poor access to them.
The status of “tragedy waiting to happen” is unlikely to change unless some small but well thought-out details are implemented rapidly. These are all pedestrian-centric solutions that can be attended to at the station manager’s level.
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Stainless steel hand railings, although provided at many stairways, must be extended to all stairways and FOBs, maintaining a gap of 40 mm from any wall or structural element, and a continuous flow.
Any FOB wider than 4m must have a central handrailing or rows of handrailing not more than 4m apart. A large number of people need support while climbing stairs. Intermediate rows of stainless steel handrailing need to be provided even for FOBs, at a spacing of not more than 6m.
It’s equally important that no stair is broken at any time, and the nosing of the stairway is skid-proof. If made of angle iron, the top surface should have small weld spot projections (wherein the weld has raised sections, or projections) to give a skid-proof edge.
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The tread (horizontal steps) and riser (vertical space between steps) of a flight of stairs needs to be of uniform dimension.
The FOB focus
FOBs’ flooring needs to be anti-skid, but this is not always the case in Mumbai. Also, the roofing and side cladding of the entire system of stairways, FOBs and even their merging with platforms need to be watertight, preventing roof water pouring into commuter areas. Exit points of FOB stairways must have an adequate landing area that is partially covered and is on level flooring with a drainage provision. And since FOBs are cladded, they must be provided with roof air extractors.
Stations also need escalators of the highest permissible speeds, especially since platforms are narrow.
There can be many more solutions but these will need work orders to be issued post tendering. For example, Parel station needs to be connected to the service road in the west by two FOBs to empty out the narrow platform 1-2, instead of making everyone walk an average of 150m to get there.
In the longer run, providing additional public transport capacity of 1,80,000 people per hour in peak direction will have to be considered seriously. This is achievable by introducing a high capacity bus system or what is known a Bus Rapid Transit System. But that is a topic for another day.
Sudhir Badami is a transportation analyst and a member of the Bombay High Court-constituted committee that is looking into ways to make suburban rail travel safe