Railway officials said there is no need for protests and court threats, but commuters should offer solutions.
Western Railway’s decision to reduce the number of seats in trains to create more space for standees and increase accommodation has raised a debate among commuters with some saying that such plans will cut down seating space and others saying that it will ease the crowd at the doorway and increase standing capacity.
Railway officials said there is no need for protests and court threats, but commuters should offer solutions.
The other option that has come forward is having longitudinal seats parallel to the length of the train, like those in Metros across the world and even in Delhi and Kolkatta.
The longitudinal arrangement will help ferry at least 20 per cent more standing than the existing capacity. Suburban trains across the world have longitudinal arrangements, but a section of officials said it may not be feasible as suburban trains here in Mumbai unlike other cities extend to two-hour journeys to Karjat and Dahanu.
“This is the time to throw up ideas. We are not enemies of commuters. We are trying to work out solutions in the given limited infrastructure and set-up. If there is opposition, we will rethink. That does not mean we should stop experimenting. The commuter organisation heads should have an open mind,” a senior official said.
WR on Thursday announced plans to reduce one seat each from just near the door so that commuters can enter and exit comfortably. It would mean eight seats less in each general and first-class compartment. However, it will not extend to the ladies, handicap, luggage and senior citizen coaches.
While WR said the suggestion has come from commuter bodies themselves, they said there is no harm in trying it out in few trains and change the 86-year-old layout. Technically, it would reduce the number of seats in 12-car locals by 100 and in nine-car rakes by 72 but increase capacity by around 300-400 per train. WR chief spokesperson Sharat Chandrayan said the WR was studying the feasibility of the new seating arrangement.
On an average 9-car train has a seating capacity of 876 passengers and 1,752 standing passengers, a total of 2,628 while a 12-car train has a seating of 1,168 passengers and 2,336 passengers, a total of 3,504 passengers, and a rise of 33% of carrying capacity.
){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}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}