As per a new report, Western Railways (WR) will implement an automatic door-closing system in three of its non-AC coaches like Ladies First Class, General First Class, and Second Class. These doors have been installed in a 15-coach Siemens train in order to gauge the feasibility of a system like this in the long run while also taking input from the commuters.
One aspect to consider is if this system will be able to handle high-intensity situations, especially during peak hours at stations. The authorities plan to put these coaches to the test during non-peak hours, followed shortly by peak hours. It is said that Western Railways has been working on this project at the railways’ Mahalaxmi workshop for the past eight months.
While this does seem like a great plan to ease the pain of overcrowding on local trains, not everybody appears to be confident about this new procedure, mainly due to the humidity in the city as well as the load that the doors are expected to take. The unnamed official added that it is “unlikely that these doors will be added to more coaches or trains.”
As per the details made available by Western Railways, these automatic doors are designed by the same company that built the automatic doors for its AC coaches. Non-AC coaches see a heavy influx of passengers each day, which explains the officials’ skepticism on the matter.
These doors have been designed to open and close anywhere between 2.5 to 6 seconds. It is also worth considering that the time taken by the automatic doors to open and close may also impact the timings of the train.
As per data submitted by the Government Railway Police, 299 passengers on the Western Railways belt have lost their lives in train-related mishaps. Perhaps it’s time for the safety of the commuters to be prioritized over punctuality.
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