Mumbai: Crowds get thinner after double-discharge facility introduced at Dadar station

Before: Platform 11 before a barricade and ramp was removed; (right) After: The same spot recently

The crowd bubble at Dadar station on Central Railway (CR) is finally bursting. The double-discharge facility for fast trains, the removal of stalls that were creating a hindrance for commuters and the division of crowds have started to bear fruit. The double-discharge platform 10/11 is now ready and passengers have started using it, reducing congestion at the station.

Following a series of articles by mid-day on how the railway police had been struggling to manage the crowd on slow line platforms at Dadar station, CR's Mumbai Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) Rajneesh Goyal had promised not just to widen platforms but also drew up a master plan of the station to create more space for passengers.

Platforms 10/11 wear an empty look after stalls are removed

Under a plan to decongest the station, the slow line platform has already been widened and now the fast train platforms 10/11 at Dadar have been converted into double-discharge ones.

"The platform was fenced from one side and was under-used. Now after removing the barricades and obstructions, the platform has become usable. We can now get into a Dadar local easily," Avinash Burunde, a commuter said.

"The removal of all stalls on platform 10 is an important step in the right direction. The island platform was always crowded. We would like to congratulate whoever is responsible," another commuter, Rakesh Ranjan, said.

"The railways are now giving finishing touches to the platform. Most of the cover over the platform is also in place on the newly opened side. This is the best way we could tweak and redesign in the given limitations," a divisional official said.

Why it was important

Platforms 10/11 are used by both fast local trains and mail/express trains, which used to lead to crowding on platform 10 as passengers with luggage would wait on the platform along with local train commuters. The removal of stalls and now having another face to platform 10 by having access from platform 11 has dispersed the crowd in a big way.