Mumbai: Between June 1 and 20, Central Railway (CR) recorded 666 instances of alarm chain pulling across its network — 251 of which occurred in the Mumbai division alone. As a result, 463 passengers were prosecuted, and a total fine of Rs 1.7 lakh was collected, according to CR’s chief spokesperson Swapnil Nila.Each incident caused a minimum delay of five minutes per train. Around 150 trains faced delays ranging from 10 to 15 minutes. This marks a 53% increase compared to the same period last year, which saw 98 such disruptions.“These delays had a cascading impact, affecting multiple subsequent services,” Nila said on Sunday. Both mail/express and suburban trains in Mumbai were hard-hit, resulting in inconvenience to thousands of daily commuters. The reasons for chain pulling varied widely — from accidental triggers and late boarding attempts to dropped mobile phones and other non-critical issues. “We urge passengers not to misuse the alarm chain for trivial reasons, as it causes widespread disruption,” Nila said. He reminded the public that unwarranted chain pulling is a punishable offence under Section 141 of the Railways Act.A senior Mumbai division official said, “In Mumbai, chain pulling is frequently misused to stop long-distance trains for non-emergency reasons — such as alighting at undesignated stops or to purchase water. The alarm chain is strictly meant for genuine emergencies like fire, medical situations, or onboard accidents.”To reduce such misuse, the railways has advised passengers to reach their boarding stations well in advance and carry manageable luggage. “Facilities like battery-operated cars and wheelchairs are available at most stations to assist senior citizens and differently abled passengers,” Nila said.
