HC directs Railways to check overcrowding in local trains

Mumbai, June 28 (UNI) The Bombay High Court today directed the State and the Central Governments to convene a meeting of concerned authorities to chalk out a plan in order to resolve problems related to suburban train travel in the Metropolis, particularly to check ''dangerous overcrowding of the suburban trains''.

''There cannot be any doubt that suburban trains in the city are dangerously overcrowded and the Railways cannot escape its responsibility'', remarked the Division bench consisting of Chief Justice Swatanter Kumar and Justice S C Dharmadhikari, while hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Dinesh Gandhi and a Suo Motu petition.

''You call this city as number one in the country and this is the situation, please don't push the citizens like this, kindly do something'', the Judges asked the authorities.

The court noted down in its order that it was not for them to plan out measures to control overcrowding of trains in the city adding that it was a matter for the state and the central government as it involves technical, financial and practical viability issues.

The court has given eight weeks time to the authorities to meet and decide on issues related to number of rakes, frequency of services etc. so as to ease overcrowding.

Counsel for the railways, Advocate Suresh Kumar informed the court that shortly 5 more rakes will be added to the present fleet of 67 rakes of the Western railway, taking the number of services from 1043 to 1123. That will ease the rush between Andheri and Virar, he added.

UNI