According to statistics made available to dna by the RPF unit of WR's Mumbai division, the April-June period in 2015 saw 81 incidents which in turn cancelled 116 trains and delayed 823 trains.
The good news for Western Railway commuters is that the delay and cancellation of suburban trains due to non-technical reasons has come down by almost 42 per cent between April and June 2016 in comparison to the same period last year.
Non-technical reasons include chain-pulling arising out of passengers fighting inside the train, passengers refusing to allow the train to leave because of dirty coaches and the like. These, officials classified as incidents where the Railway Protection Force has to be called in to sort out the matter, in the process delaying the train and also cancelling trains following it.
According to statistics made available to dna by the RPF unit of WR's Mumbai division, the April-June period in 2015 saw 81 incidents which in turn cancelled 116 trains and delayed 823 trains. The April-June period this year has seen 54 cases, 100 cancelled trains and 478 trains delayed, a reduction of 42 percent.
The RPF is linking the good show to the fact that it has been bale to prosecute more people for alarm chain-pulling (ACP) which is one of the major causes of trains getting stalled, delayed and at times cancelled on the suburban network.
This year, between April and June, the RPF has managed to prosecute 129 people while the same period last year saw 77 prosecution. This 67 percent increase in chain-pulling prosecutions is a deterrent for anti-socials who believe the crowds and anonymity of suburban travel allow them routes to escape, said officials.
Speaking to dna, Anand Vijay Jha, senior divisional security commissioner said that approaching the problem methodically. "We have been carrying out a time and location analysis of past data available with operations department of WR. The corrective action includes prevention and punitive action post wrongful Alarm Chain pull under Railways Act. We are ably supported by operations department which ensures that the RPF field teams are effective on the ground. The top locations includes Dadar, Borivli, Vasai, Nallasopara and the effect is greater during the evening peaks hours between 7pm to 9pm when compared to the morning 7am to 9am peak," Jha said.
What the law says about Alarm Chain-Pulling (Section 141, Railway Act, 1989)
Provided that, in the absence of special and adequate reasons to the contrary to be mentioned in the judgment of the court, where a passenger, without reasonable and sufficient cause, makes use of the alarm chain provided by a railway administration, such punishment shall not be less than a fine of five hundred rupees, in the case of conviction for the first offence; and Imprisonment for three months in case of conviction for the second or subsequent offence.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "chain-pullers")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}