Once Upon a Time: Just a coach-maintenance hub now, Wadi Bunder was once epicentre of freight traffic

Established in the pre-independence era, in 1882, the yard would in its initial days boast of 14 sheds and 64 main lines for trains. These 14 sheds would be used for excessive loading and unloading of commodities, mostly cement, foodgrains, explosives and other raw materials.

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“Wadi Bunder yard was known as the nominated goods shed at that time because it would make a monthly earning of almost above Rs 1 crore. Besides, it would also handle wagon loading for business hubs and parcel loading for long-distance trains,” said P S Kumar, retired Chief Goods Supervisor for the yard.

Known to be one of the busiest hubs on the railway grounds, almost 500,000 labourers would flock the yard to unload or board goods. From maintenance of coaches to washing of the trains, it proved to be one of the major economic hubs then.

“Back then, the yard would make a lot of revenue for the railways. Those were actually the golden days when we all would take great interest in doing our jobs. I would leave my home early morning without having any idea of when I would be back only because we were responsible for a lot of work in here,” recalled Kumar.

However with other yards cropping up over the years, the work load for Wadi Bunder yard eventually reduced. Since 1991, it got freed from catering to small bookings of goods moving outside the state, then wagon loads and eventually from handling freight in 2015. Only parcel booking and coach and wagon maintenance is presently carried out at the yard.

“Only four sheds which cater to coach maintenance, washing pits and parcels are functional in the yard. The remaining fifty percent of the yard lies idle. We also have two laundries in place which helps in cleaning towels and curtains of express trains,” Bharat Junghare, depot-in charge, coaching, Wadi Bunder said.

Meanwhile, other yards in Matunga and Turbhe have been entrusted with immediate dealing of goods traffic. Bombay Port Trust, Lokmanya Tilak Terminus are some other yards on which concentration of work have increased. And as for Wadi Bunder, it has become the hub for primary maintenance of almost 500 coaches. “The primary maintenance of most of the Express trains leaving from CST which must be done in not more than six hours is done at our yard. Apart from that looking after other passenger amenities utilization like bio-toilets and keeping lines vacant for stabling the trains is also one of our functions.” Junghare added.

However, there are still some people, mostly Mathadi kamgars (head-loaders), who keep coming to the yard in search of work. What prevails now in the yard are some 500 odd railway employees engaged in either operation or maintenance work. The remaining work is handled by contractual workers, whose labour fee is assumed to be cheaper. Without much activity, the rest of the unused land remains a home to many. Between all of this, what comes as a hope for some is re-utilization of the land in a better way.

“After the Mazgaon yard, railway officials are looking at re-modelling the entire yard of Wadi Bunder so that every activity gets a proper channelisation” said A O Abraham, Chief Yard Manager.