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How is the Western Railway (WR) tackling the various cases that are threatening commuters' safety?
Under the Railways Act, we are empowered to arrest, prosecute and investigate and so far, we've seen astounding statistics. These statutory rights were bestowed in 2003 and since then, we have been handling cases very efficiently. Speaking of this year, from January to June, we've had 3,202 cases and have collected fines amounting to Rs. 12 lakhs.

What's in store for commuters of the Mumbai local?
Through various initiatives, we are trying our best to make the commuters' journey a good and safe experience. We have recently launched an initiative to make the FOBs (foot-over bridges) a hawker-free zone, where officials will ensure that there are no hawkers on the bridges between Churchgate and Dahanu. Also, I would request all the female passengers not to buy anything from hawkers in the trains as they are conducting their business illegally and hence should not be encouraged.

What is your plan to make train travelling safer for women?
We have an initiative called 'escorting ladies special trains', where female constables are deployed in trains. The constables undergo an exchange of trains at major stations so that it results in officers guarding the coaches efficiently.

Is there a plan to allow commuters to get in touch with WR directly?
Yes, we are working to make the already popular 'm-Indicator' application more personalised. We plan on providing information regarding the female constables guarding the train coaches—as in their name, photo and phone number—on the app. This way, in case of an emergency, one can save crucial time by dialling the constable's number directly, instead of dialling the control room.

Commuters have a common complaint that RPF officers are not particularly approachable...
Yes, I do feel that there's a need to bring a change in the way complaints are tackled. For this purpose, several officers are being trained at our Valsad Training Centre. The training will equip them with soft skills that are required to handle various situations. We have invited some of the leading experts from the industry to train these officers.

How efficient is the emergency control room?
It is working in a great way and I am not simply saying this. Recently, a woman called the control room to inform that she had mistakenly left a bag containing medical documents and cash amounting to Rs. 1,30,000 in one of the trains. We immediately called up the concerned officers at the station where the train was scheduled to arrive, and they were able to retrieve the bag.