Andheri, Borivali, and Bandra Terminus stations make the shortlist for railway’s access control pilot project

“The Railway Board had asked us to suggest some stations on the WR zone where controlled access system can be implemented, and accordingly, we have identified 12 of them according to the footfall, out of which three are from the Mumbai division,” a WR spokesperson said.

The access control system would operate in a way similar to the Metro stations, where entry and exit are controlled by electronic ticket validation at dedicated gates. It aims at checking unauthorised entry, improving monitoring of crowd movement, and increasing commuter safety at stations with high daily passenger traffic.

The average daily foot traffic is 4.17 lakh at Andheri station, 4.54 lakh at Borivali, and 40,000 at Bandra Terminus. These stations tend to get excessively congested, especially during peak times, and access control can assist in properly managing crowds, the WR believes.

The system would only allow valid ticket holders to enter the platforms, thereby limiting the possibility of overcrowding and facilitating faster response to emergencies. It would also help to combat ticketless travel and ensure management of crowds during festivals or peak season.

“While there is no other word from the Railway Board other than identification of such railway stations, it would be too early to ascertain the details of the system and its implementation. However, the board is planning to launch it as a pilot project first,” the spokesperson added.

Besides Mumbai, the WR has also proposed the names of major stations in Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh, including Surat, Vapi, Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Udhana, Asarva, Ujjain, Sabarmati and Sehore.

At present, the proposal is at its initial stage and consists only of a shortlist of stations for the pilot project. If sanctioned, the controlled access system could be a template for innovation at other major railway stations in India.