CR plans to deploy RPF personnel to ensure women queue up on local train platforms

Central Railway (CR) plans to deploy Railway Police Force (RPF) personnel to make women passengers stand in queues before boarding suburban trains during peak hours. Railway authorities believe this move will benefit women commuters to board and disembark from the local train coaches and avoid the jostling and pushing in the ladies’ compartments of suburban local trains.

A senior railway official said it will be launched at five select stations, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST), Thane, Dombivali, Kalyan and Badlapur. This will be implemented during peak hours. Women constables from Railway Protection Force (RPF) will be roped in for the purpose.

In the year 2015, CR had taken this initiative with an aim to bring about a discipline among railway passengers and curb the mad rush seen for catching a seat in a local train. But the initiative had stopped due to a clash between Kalyan and Dombivali lady commuters.

“We will again start deploying lady RPF consta- bles to have a safe and orderly boarding in the ladies coaches at five stationsCST, Thane, Dombivali, Kalyan and Badlapur during the peak hours. Our constables will stand near the coaches and ask women passengers to queue up and then get into the coach,” said Sachin Bhalode, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, Central Railway.

A number of people lose their lives while boarding the trains during peak hour in order to get a seat and the railway administration feels this initiative will curb such accidents.

The initiative was welcomed by passengers and their representatives. “Through this initiative, we are also confident of curbing crimes such as pick-pocketing, chainsnatching and other incidents which take place in,” said Balode.