Kolkata

KOLKATA: A packed Metro coach travelled the entire distance from Dum Dum to Kavi Subhas stations with one of its doors open during the morning peak hour on Wednesday, horrifying several passengers and raising, once again, the question of safety in an ageing fleet of rakes.  

The only measures employed by the Metro authorities, under the circumstances, was to station employees at the malfunctioning gate to prevent passengers from falling out, and Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel at the opposite gate to dissuade passengers from boarding the coach at each subsequent station, in order to prevent more crowding. But a few passengers boarded the coach from every station, it was learnt.  

The train travelled this way the entire distance of about 25km, covering 24 stations.  

According to Metro authorities, the coach, one of the older AC rakes in use, arrived at the Down Dum Dum platform around 10. 21am. After passengers boarded, when the motorman pressed the button to shut the doors at 10. 24am, he realised one of the doors - of the fifth coach - was not responding. When the maintenance staff couldn´t get it to close, the central control at Metro headquarters was informed, and officials decided to run the rake with the door open.  

Metro Railway CPRO Indrani Banerjee said it was a conscious decision to run the rake in that condition. Otherwise, It would have taken a lot of time to reverse the rake to the Noapara carshed and other services would have got affected, resulting in total chaos.  

The train finally started at 10. 48am and covered the distance in an hour. Banerjee said Metro took full responsibility of passenger safety during the journey.. . an RPF personnel, two maintenance and a station staff were deployed in the coach to keep passengers away from the door.