Author: Binoor Nair
Publication: Mumbai Mirror
Date: July 18, 2006
Introduction: Western Railway went about clearing
mutilated doggies, repairing tracks and restoring services swiftly and methodically.
The aim was clear: it didn't want to let the perpetrators of 'mindless violence'
triumph
When the London underground was attacked on
July 7 last year, services could be restored only three days later. On July
11, 2006, the Western Railway (WR) network was hit by seven blasts. Exactly
16 hours later, trains were plying along the entire line between Churchgate
and Virar.
As many as 5,000 employees of the WR were
out on the field, while senior officials led by the general manager and additional
general manager manned control rooms at Mumbai Central and Churchgate.
A Psychological Edge
Pranai Prabhakar, chief public relations officer,
WR, explained, "We realised that the psychological advantage would be
got only if we started running a skeletal service before the end of Tuesday.
At 10:44 pm when a train ran between Churchgate and Mahalaxmi, we knew we
were on the way."
Vivek Sahai, additional general manager, WR,
added, "The first hour went in planning how we would remove damaged bogies
as soon as we received police clearance. By Wednesday morning, our aim was
to get every service on line."
The Preparation
Every field employee and official was called
back on duty. Gangmen and pointsman were asked to re-check tracks as if it
was their normal routine.
At Virar, Andheri, Borivali and Bandra, orders
were given to keep the Tower Wagon (a single - coach train that moves along
the tracks repairing equipment) ready to run on the fifth line, which was
in fine shape as suburban locals don't use it. The Tower Wagon was equipped
with gas-cutters and other equipment since damaged bogies, likely to impede
movement on tracks, would have had to be cut out.
Light engines, used to pull locals when they
malfunction, were kept ready at Mumbai Central so that the damaged compartments
could be pulled out as soon as the police clearance came in.
The People on Board
WR General Manager Rajkamal Rao led his officials
on several trips to the affected areas. Taking position in the control room
at Churchgate wars Additional General Manager Vivek Sahai. At Mumbai Central,
which is the headquarters of the Mumbai division, Divisional Railway Manager
Satya Prakash led his men from the front.
Nearly every head of department - Chief Electrical
Engineer A K Vohra, Chief Signal and Telecom Engineer K D Sharma, Chief Operations
Manager P B Murthy, Chief Passenger Transportation Manager Lalita Venkatraman
was at the Churchgate control room to lead their respective departments in
the operation at daybreak.
A Race Against Time
Tuesday
6:45 pm: The seven blasts fold up Western Railway, all services having been
halted
10:44 pm: A shuttle service starts between Churchgate and Mahalaxmi, which
is later extended to Bandra
11:50 pm: Train 645 blasted at Matunga is shifted to the Kandivli Carshed
Wednesday
1:20 am: Train 635 blasted at Khar is shifted to the Kandivli Carshed
1:50 am: Train 637 blasted at Bandra is shifted to the Kandivli Carshed
3:00 am: Train 619 blasted at Jogeshwari is shifted to the Kandivli Carshed
3:25 am: Train 607 blasted at Mira Road is shifted to the Bhayandar Loop Line
3:45 am: Train 641 blasted at Mahim is shifted to the Kandivli Carshed
5:15 am: Train 621 blasted at Borivali is shifted to the Kandivli Carshed
6:30 am: Services start between Andheri and Borivali at intervals of 15 and
30 minutes 8:00 am: Engineers at Kandivli Carshed remove the damaged compartments
of six trains and manage to put together four new 12-coach trains. They were
all to be put on line
9:30 am: Technicians finally manage to solve the signal and overhead wire
problems at Mira Road. Borivali-Virar link is up and ready
10:00 am: The entire line between Churchgate and Virar is functional
5:00 pm: All the 65 trains that the WR uses everyday are on the tracks. Only
very few coaches are kept back in the sheds in case of emergency
The Last Word
Additional General Manager Vivek Sahai, "We
just wanted to tell the people who did this that Mumbai is not going to get
cowed down by such mindless violence. It was teamwork at its best. What we
set out to do, we did."
