0:00:05 > 0:00:06Welcome to India.
0:00:06 > 0:00:09We are here in the busy, bustling heart of Mumbai,
0:00:09 > 0:00:11standing in front of this
0:00:11 > 0:00:12extraordinary edifice here,
0:00:12 > 0:00:16the Victorian Gothic Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus,
0:00:16 > 0:00:18known by the locals as CST.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21This is a transport hub on a huge scale.
0:00:21 > 0:00:23Trains coming in and out of this station
0:00:23 > 0:00:26carry the same amount of people every day
0:00:26 > 0:00:29as use the entire UK rail network,
0:00:29 > 0:00:30in just one city.
0:00:30 > 0:00:34It runs passenger trains 365 days of the year,
0:00:34 > 0:00:3721 hours a day, and we'll be going behind that beautiful facade
0:00:37 > 0:00:41as we've got access to every area of the station.
0:00:41 > 0:00:44And, over the next four programmes, we'll be showing you
0:00:44 > 0:00:46just what it takes to keep a place like this running.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Here's what's coming up.
0:00:52 > 0:00:53Over the next four nights,
0:00:53 > 0:00:56we'll plunge you into the heart of this organised chaos.
0:00:59 > 0:01:01Tonight, it's all about rush-hour.
0:01:03 > 0:01:06These are the busiest trains on the planet.
0:01:06 > 0:01:10We'll see if we've got what it takes to join Mumbai's 5.5 million
0:01:10 > 0:01:12rail commuters.
0:01:12 > 0:01:14I'm literally not on my feet.
0:01:14 > 0:01:16I'm lying back on these people.
0:01:16 > 0:01:19Across the series, Anita is focused on the railway's
0:01:19 > 0:01:22super-sized logistical challenges.
0:01:22 > 0:01:23Whoa-ho!
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Tonight, she reveals a home-cooked lunch delivery service
0:01:27 > 0:01:28that defies belief.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30Do you get a dabba delivered at work?
0:01:30 > 0:01:33Yes, I get every day from my wife.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35Robert explores the feats of extreme engineering
0:01:35 > 0:01:37that underpin this station.
0:01:37 > 0:01:43Tonight, he discovers how they stop 1,500 daily trains colliding.
0:01:43 > 0:01:44This board looks so confusing -
0:01:44 > 0:01:47there's so many lines, so many numbers on it.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49'I'll be delving into the station's history
0:01:49 > 0:01:52'and experiencing life as a railway worker.'
0:01:52 > 0:01:54OK, the train's coming.
0:01:54 > 0:01:56We've been told to go quicker.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01And we're joined by John Sergeant,
0:02:01 > 0:02:05who rides the historic railway that brought tea to the English.
0:02:09 > 0:02:11Welcome to the world's busiest railway.
0:02:33 > 0:02:37Just before we immerse you in the mayhem of Mumbai's rush-hour,
0:02:37 > 0:02:39let's get our bearings.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43Mumbai is on the west coast of India,
0:02:43 > 0:02:47built on a peninsula of land surrounded by the Indian Ocean.
0:02:47 > 0:02:49The Chhatrapati Shivaji terminus
0:02:49 > 0:02:53is right at the southern tip of the city.
0:02:53 > 0:02:55The station was opened in 1887.
0:02:55 > 0:02:57It was built by the British.
0:02:57 > 0:03:01India, of course, back then, was part of the British Empire.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03The reason it was built here - quite simply,
0:03:03 > 0:03:05it was because Mumbai was and still is a major port.
0:03:05 > 0:03:07If you were coming to India from Britain,
0:03:07 > 0:03:09you'd arrive, chances are, right here,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12and that's why the first passenger-carrying lines
0:03:12 > 0:03:15in India are these ones just over here.
0:03:15 > 0:03:19People would continue their journey into the Indian interior by train.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21And it's being at the centre of that rail network,
0:03:21 > 0:03:24being so connected to the rest of India and the world, that turned
0:03:24 > 0:03:28Mumbai into an economic powerhouse, which it remains to this day.
0:03:28 > 0:03:29It's a remarkable city.
0:03:34 > 0:03:37This is India's city of dreams...
0:03:39 > 0:03:40..its financial capital...
0:03:42 > 0:03:43..home to billionaires
0:03:43 > 0:03:48and a magnet for ambitious Indians hoping to make their fortunes.
0:03:50 > 0:03:54Everyone here is trying to get ahead,
0:03:54 > 0:03:58which means it's busy, hot and extremely competitive.
0:04:02 > 0:04:05A century ago, there were a million people living here.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07Now, there's over 17 million.
0:04:07 > 0:04:10That's much, much bigger than the population of London,
0:04:10 > 0:04:13crammed into a space a third of the size.
0:04:13 > 0:04:17All that means that personal space here is really a premium.
0:04:21 > 0:04:24Property prices rival those of Manhattan.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29But the 55% of the population who can't afford this city's
0:04:29 > 0:04:34sky-high prices call these illegal slums home.
0:04:36 > 0:04:38There are extremes of wealth and poverty here.
0:04:38 > 0:04:41There's also a huge number of people in the middle.
0:04:41 > 0:04:44Office workers, teachers, professionals, all of them
0:04:44 > 0:04:48rely on this mega city to support themselves and their families.
0:04:50 > 0:04:54And there is just one way for most of these middle classes
0:04:54 > 0:04:57to get to and from work -
0:04:57 > 0:05:00the crowded suburban trains.
0:05:00 > 0:05:03More than 2.5 billion journeys are made on them every year.
0:05:06 > 0:05:08They are the essential lifelines of Mumbai.
0:05:11 > 0:05:13Without them, this pulsating city
0:05:13 > 0:05:17and all the wealth it creates would grind to a halt.
0:05:17 > 0:05:23And right at the very heart of this railway network is our station, CST.
0:05:30 > 0:05:32This is the suburban concourse.
0:05:32 > 0:05:34This is the beating heart,
0:05:34 > 0:05:38the terminus of the world's busiest commuter rail network.
0:05:38 > 0:05:41There are seven platforms here, and, at present, lots of them
0:05:41 > 0:05:43have got trains on. Tens of thousands of people
0:05:43 > 0:05:46are pouring through this station all the time.
0:05:46 > 0:05:48It is ten to ten in the morning.
0:05:48 > 0:05:51It's already absolutely sweltering in this station,
0:05:51 > 0:05:53but these people don't mind. They've got places to be.
0:05:53 > 0:05:56They are flowing out here through the exit there
0:05:56 > 0:05:59into the downtown business district of Mumbai.
0:05:59 > 0:06:02These are the foot soldiers of Mumbai's economic miracle.
0:06:02 > 0:06:05They've got places to be, like commuters all round the world,
0:06:05 > 0:06:07and they don't let anything stop them.
0:06:07 > 0:06:10We've got a train coming in here. Let's have a look at this.
0:06:10 > 0:06:11You'll see overhead electric cables,
0:06:11 > 0:06:14so they're not steam powered, as lots of people still think
0:06:14 > 0:06:18Indian trains are, but notice here, people are hanging out of the doors.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20There aren't any doors on these trains.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23Well, actually, there are doors but they never, ever get closed.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26And, look at this, as the train starts to slow down,
0:06:26 > 0:06:28what's going to happen is people are going to jump off.
0:06:28 > 0:06:30Look at those guys. They're jumping off a moving train.
0:06:30 > 0:06:33And that allows people to get on and off these trains
0:06:33 > 0:06:35very efficiently, very quickly. Quite dangerously, really.
0:06:35 > 0:06:37But this is a woman's... a ladies' carriage.
0:06:37 > 0:06:40So, here on this network, men and women travel separately.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42So here all the ladies coming,
0:06:42 > 0:06:45and beyond them a great tidal wave, a torrent of men,
0:06:45 > 0:06:48heading down this platform like a surging river in flood.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51It's quite intimidating, really.
0:06:51 > 0:06:53And the doors... No doors is one way they manage to get
0:06:53 > 0:06:56so many people in and out of this station. You don't have to wait
0:06:56 > 0:06:58for the doors to beep and open like you do in the UK.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01But what also allows people to get in and out of this station is
0:07:01 > 0:07:04the fact there are no ticket barriers on the end of this
0:07:04 > 0:07:06platform, no bottlenecks, so people just come piling out of these
0:07:06 > 0:07:10trains, charging down the platform and straight out through that exit
0:07:10 > 0:07:12ready to get on with their day's work.
0:07:12 > 0:07:15Now, as you can see, it's quite intimidating being in the heart
0:07:15 > 0:07:18of rush-hour. Particularly going the wrong way. I'm getting
0:07:18 > 0:07:19jostled here, pushed out the way.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22But Robert, Anita and I wanted to experience exactly what
0:07:22 > 0:07:24it's like to ride these trains,
0:07:24 > 0:07:26to experience the super-dense crush load,
0:07:26 > 0:07:30and we did so for ourselves at the height of a Mumbai rush-hour.
0:07:36 > 0:07:41It's just before 9am and, across Mumbai's 116 stations,
0:07:41 > 0:07:465.5 million commuters are catching the train to work.
0:07:46 > 0:07:48What have we let ourselves in for?
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Right, here we go. I'm going in.
0:07:53 > 0:07:54Come on, Anita.
0:07:54 > 0:07:59You can get the Tube, you can get a Mumbai railway.
0:07:59 > 0:08:00We're right to be anxious -
0:08:00 > 0:08:03these are the most densely packed trains in the world.
0:08:06 > 0:08:09Inside, as many as 14 people can be crammed into
0:08:09 > 0:08:13a single square metre, the same size as a phone box.
0:08:15 > 0:08:19Conditions are so bad they have a special phrase to describe it.
0:08:19 > 0:08:22This is super-dense crush load.
0:08:23 > 0:08:27To see just how tough it is for Mumbai's commuters,
0:08:27 > 0:08:31we're travelling on different lines. Dan and I are on the Harbour line.
0:08:31 > 0:08:33And I'm on the Central line.
0:08:33 > 0:08:34Quite nervous about this.
0:08:36 > 0:08:39We're all used to commuting in the UK
0:08:39 > 0:08:42but this is going to be more like a contact sport.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Just reaching the platforms is a challenge.
0:08:47 > 0:08:49I'm swimming against the stream.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52Got no choice where I'm going. Just being swept along.
0:08:53 > 0:08:57This isn't going to be like any commuting experience we've ever had.
0:09:02 > 0:09:05It's not just the crush on the trains that's coming as a shock.
0:09:07 > 0:09:10Commuters think nothing of crossing the tracks
0:09:10 > 0:09:11to move between platforms.
0:09:15 > 0:09:16Although it's illegal,
0:09:16 > 0:09:20it's so widespread that the authorities can't do much about it.
0:09:26 > 0:09:31Nine people are killed on Mumbai's suburban network every day.
0:09:31 > 0:09:33Most are run over on the tracks
0:09:33 > 0:09:36but commuters also regularly fall from the trains...
0:09:38 > 0:09:41..and these risks are constantly in your face.
0:09:42 > 0:09:46I'm worried for your safety! I'm worried for your safety!
0:09:46 > 0:09:49Whoa! Now that is aggressive.
0:09:49 > 0:09:51Oh, my God, the train's moving.
0:09:51 > 0:09:55Right, I'm going to get my train.
0:09:55 > 0:09:57How hard can this be?
0:09:57 > 0:09:59Here we go. This is the scramble now.
0:09:59 > 0:10:02It hasn't stopped yet and they're getting off already.
0:10:02 > 0:10:05'Commuters only have 15-35 seconds
0:10:05 > 0:10:08'while the train stops to get on or off.'
0:10:08 > 0:10:10ROBERT LAUGHS
0:10:10 > 0:10:11'It's terrifying to watch!'
0:10:11 > 0:10:12Oh, agh!
0:10:18 > 0:10:21'And genuinely physically intimidating.
0:10:21 > 0:10:22'Even for someone my size.'
0:10:26 > 0:10:28It's a fight. What is happening?
0:10:33 > 0:10:37I have never seen this many people get on a train in my life.
0:10:38 > 0:10:40It's going.
0:10:40 > 0:10:42Oh, I'm not getting involved in this.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Good luck. Good luck.
0:10:45 > 0:10:46Good luck. Good luck.
0:10:51 > 0:10:53I don't fancy that.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56It looks really frightening and violent and yet everyone's grinning.
0:10:56 > 0:10:58They're all grinning away.
0:10:58 > 0:11:01That was just a huge bunfight to get on and off that train
0:11:01 > 0:11:04and everybody seems fine now.
0:11:04 > 0:11:05At this time of day,
0:11:05 > 0:11:09each of these trains is carrying close to 5,000 people.
0:11:09 > 0:11:14It won't get quieter until after 11 o'clock, so it's now or never.
0:11:14 > 0:11:18I think we're going to do this one. Come on.
0:11:25 > 0:11:26Yes.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34There we go.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36I'm literally not on my feet.
0:11:36 > 0:11:38I'm lying back on these people.
0:11:40 > 0:11:43I don't think I've been pressed up against this many men since...
0:11:43 > 0:11:45ladies' night at the Hammersmith Palais
0:11:45 > 0:11:47back in the '90s.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49Should be playing Come On, Eileen.
0:11:51 > 0:11:55Dan may have muscled his way on but in the ladies' carriage,
0:11:55 > 0:11:58I'm hoping it's more about strategy.
0:11:58 > 0:12:00What advice would you give me to get on a train?
0:12:00 > 0:12:04You have to push it, finally. Push? Yeah. A final push. Yeah.
0:12:04 > 0:12:08A push. A drastic push. You're not going to get in the train.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12OK, a drastic push otherwise I will die. OK, that sounds terrifying.
0:12:12 > 0:12:14Right, I'm getting on the next train.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17I'm getting on the next train. Here we go.
0:12:17 > 0:12:19ANITA LAUGHS
0:12:19 > 0:12:22OK, I missed it. You have to be like me. Again, I'm in a queue.
0:12:22 > 0:12:24I'm in a queue.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27I think women at the back are pushing women onto the train.
0:12:27 > 0:12:33'Male, female, old, young, there's just one rule - push or be pushed.'
0:12:34 > 0:12:38'Time for me and Anita to man up and do this.'
0:12:38 > 0:12:41I'm going to get on this one. This is the one.
0:12:41 > 0:12:43The next one, I'm getting on.
0:12:45 > 0:12:48'If it's not difficult enough already, we've got
0:12:48 > 0:12:52'to get our camera operators onboard to record the experience, too.'
0:12:52 > 0:12:53Stick with me.
0:12:53 > 0:12:55ROBERT LAUGHS Ow!
0:12:58 > 0:13:00Oh.
0:13:00 > 0:13:05All right, I'm getting on. Let's go. We're getting on, we're getting on.
0:13:07 > 0:13:09Oh!
0:13:09 > 0:13:10Yeah, I'm on.
0:13:14 > 0:13:16I'm on. We made it.
0:13:16 > 0:13:17I made the train!
0:13:19 > 0:13:22I think the one thing I'm not worried about is falling over.
0:13:22 > 0:13:24I'm not going to fall over.
0:13:28 > 0:13:30The temperature's pushing 40 degrees
0:13:30 > 0:13:34and we're travelling at 35km an hour.
0:13:34 > 0:13:36It's a full-on assault on the senses.
0:13:38 > 0:13:40Fresh air is a precious commodity.
0:13:40 > 0:13:42I'm beginning to understand the rules now.
0:13:42 > 0:13:45Part of the reason there's such a massive scrum is people are
0:13:45 > 0:13:49trying to get on but trying to stand near the door. I can see why.
0:13:51 > 0:13:53All the lights suddenly went off,
0:13:53 > 0:13:56but the fan is still working and that's the important thing.
0:13:56 > 0:14:00I don't need light but the air is a blessing, believe me.
0:14:00 > 0:14:02That fan blowing down is fantastic.
0:14:05 > 0:14:08Apparently it's not as crowded as it normally is.
0:14:08 > 0:14:09That's why I had it easy.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12That didn't seem easy. That wasn't easy.
0:14:13 > 0:14:17Hard to believe but, since I got on, it's actually thinned out a bit.
0:14:17 > 0:14:19I'm not completely crushed.
0:14:19 > 0:14:23I have to hold on or I'll fall over so I've got a bit of room now.
0:14:23 > 0:14:24Not much.
0:14:26 > 0:14:30This could be pretty gruelling having to do it day in, day out,
0:14:30 > 0:14:32your daily commute. This is your start to work.
0:14:32 > 0:14:37If I had to do this every single day, it would drive me mad.
0:14:45 > 0:14:49Well, that was the super-dense crush load at rush-hour
0:14:49 > 0:14:51and it does exactly what it says on the tin.
0:14:51 > 0:14:54I feel dense, even more dense than usual, and totally crushed.
0:14:54 > 0:14:57I'm actually, I reckon, a couple of millimetres taller
0:14:57 > 0:14:59because I've been squeezed like a tube of toothpaste.
0:14:59 > 0:15:03It's funny, isn't it, how there is an unspoken sort of culture
0:15:03 > 0:15:06and rules to it all? Everyone gets on and shuffles round.
0:15:06 > 0:15:07It's an interesting system.
0:15:07 > 0:15:10I mean, it's quite terrifying, the initial entrance,
0:15:10 > 0:15:14the transition from platform to carriage is quite tense
0:15:14 > 0:15:16and noisy and boisterous, I think it would be fair to say.
0:15:16 > 0:15:18I saw a few punches thrown.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20There's obviously an invisible line and when people cross that,
0:15:20 > 0:15:23voices are raised, punches thrown. I mean, it's a full-on experience.
0:15:23 > 0:15:26Once you're in and crushed then I was really happy.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28It was very funny, everyone was smiling and laughing.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31Nothing can happen to you. No, you can't go anywhere,
0:15:31 > 0:15:33you're not going to fall over! Absolutely extraordinary.
0:15:33 > 0:15:35But the thing I noticed when I got here -
0:15:35 > 0:15:37I hadn't looked in the mad panic - was that is my ticket.
0:15:37 > 0:15:40Five rupees, that's what it cost me to do that journey. Five pence.
0:15:40 > 0:15:44Five pence. And that was a journey of about...over 15 minutes.
0:15:44 > 0:15:47Definitely cheap. It's definitely cheap. You get your money's worth.
0:15:47 > 0:15:49Not got a lot of room but you get your money's worth.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52Of course, the way I guess they make it so cheap is those doors...
0:15:52 > 0:15:53Seeing those doors is extraordinary.
0:15:53 > 0:15:55People are just hanging on the outside,
0:15:55 > 0:15:57so many people heading into the middle of Mumbai.
0:15:57 > 0:16:00Absolutely extraordinary. I'd seen that from outside the trains before,
0:16:00 > 0:16:03people hanging outside, and you just get used to it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:04But when you're actually on the train,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07and you see the posts flying past, the danger.
0:16:07 > 0:16:08And they're hanging right outside of it.
0:16:08 > 0:16:10It's difficult to put it in context cos there's
0:16:10 > 0:16:13so many people travelling on so many trains it is just...
0:16:13 > 0:16:16it is incredibly dense and complicated
0:16:16 > 0:16:18and that's absolutely extraordinary.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21I mean, even when they stop at a suburban station,
0:16:21 > 0:16:24how short is that stop? 15 seconds sometimes. They hardly pause.
0:16:24 > 0:16:26But that's how you keep the speed up.
0:16:26 > 0:16:28That's how you get the density on the rail, isn't it?
0:16:28 > 0:16:31And when they get into here, the turnaround time in here...
0:16:31 > 0:16:34So trains are coming in, while we've been here, zooming in all the time,
0:16:34 > 0:16:36zooming out all the time and that turnaround is kept to
0:16:36 > 0:16:41the minimum time possible and that, I discovered, is called the headway.
0:16:41 > 0:16:44In peak hours, they aim to get a train in
0:16:44 > 0:16:48and out of each platform in 3 minutes and 30 seconds.
0:16:48 > 0:16:52Keeping this headway period to time is the secret to keeping
0:16:52 > 0:16:54everything running on schedule.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58With rush-hour easing off, Anita's got the chance to
0:16:58 > 0:17:02show us around a train and how the headway operation works.
0:17:04 > 0:17:06I'm on platform four.
0:17:06 > 0:17:09This is the slow train that's coming into CST,
0:17:09 > 0:17:12the end terminus where it will come to a standstill
0:17:12 > 0:17:15then it will have an optimum time of 3 minutes and 30 seconds
0:17:15 > 0:17:19to get itself ready to go back out. It's 5 to 11.
0:17:19 > 0:17:22You can still see it's very busy but rush-hour is over,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25cos most people have already got into their offices. But it's hot.
0:17:25 > 0:17:29Hello, madam. It's sweaty. There are thousands of people in there.
0:17:29 > 0:17:31Another unusual aspect of these trains
0:17:31 > 0:17:35are these double discharge platforms, introduced in 1990.
0:17:35 > 0:17:38Let's walk through this ladies' carriage,
0:17:38 > 0:17:42and you'll see exactly what I'm talking about.
0:17:42 > 0:17:45You can get on and off from both sides...
0:17:48 > 0:17:51..and that is to deal with the sheer volume.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54Everything here is just on a massive scale.
0:17:54 > 0:17:58Take the train for example - 12 carriages long.
0:17:58 > 0:18:02It can take, or it's supposed to take, 3,500 people.
0:18:02 > 0:18:06It can carry up to 5,000 people, all crammed in, give or take a few.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10To give you just something to think about - a capacity train
0:18:10 > 0:18:14running from Leeds to Manchester at rush-hour can take under 1,000.
0:18:14 > 0:18:17So you see the volume, the numbers are enormous here.
0:18:17 > 0:18:19Now, it has a first and a second class.
0:18:19 > 0:18:21I've been told that the difference is very little.
0:18:21 > 0:18:24The first class seats are padded, the second class aren't.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27But I've also been assured that first class is no more comfortable
0:18:27 > 0:18:29than second class. But the price difference is huge.
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Most people are commuters so they buy a monthly pass.
0:18:33 > 0:18:37In first class, that will set you back ?7.45, 745 rupees.
0:18:37 > 0:18:40In second class, it's only ?2.15.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43Now, how on earth are any of these tickets checked?
0:18:43 > 0:18:45Cos Dan pointed out there are no barriers.
0:18:45 > 0:18:48Well, I've been told that there are ticket checkers roaming,
0:18:48 > 0:18:51ten of them in the station today. They do randomly pop up,
0:18:51 > 0:18:53sometimes on a bridge, sometimes on the platform,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56and a brave conductor will even get on the train sometimes.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58And if you're caught without a ticket,
0:18:58 > 0:19:02the fine is relatively very steep. It's 200...
0:19:02 > 0:19:05minimum 250 rupees, that's ?2.50.
0:19:05 > 0:19:07But when you consider that an average daily wage
0:19:07 > 0:19:09of a Mumbaikar is 340 rupees,
0:19:09 > 0:19:13you can see that you would not want to be stung with that.
0:19:13 > 0:19:16Now, how do any of these commuters know where they're going?
0:19:16 > 0:19:19There is a board at the back that will tell us.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21This train was due to depart at 10:56.
0:19:21 > 0:19:25So it's already 1 minute and 39 seconds over.
0:19:25 > 0:19:27It's going to Kurla, that's what the C stands for.
0:19:27 > 0:19:30It's a slow train and it is a whopping 12 carriages long.
0:19:30 > 0:19:33Now, we know that it has separate ladies' compartments, because there
0:19:33 > 0:19:36is a picture of a beautiful lady in a sari there painted on the side.
0:19:36 > 0:19:41But also there are signs at the top, at the middle
0:19:41 > 0:19:42and at the back of the platform.
0:19:42 > 0:19:45Now, when I rode in the ladies' carriage,
0:19:45 > 0:19:47in the super-dense crush load,
0:19:47 > 0:19:49I asked a very smiley, friendly woman
0:19:49 > 0:19:51would she give up her seat for me if I were pregnant?
0:19:51 > 0:19:52She smiled at me and said,
0:19:52 > 0:19:55"No, madam, you could go in the disabled carriage."
0:19:55 > 0:19:57So there is a separate disabled carriage.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59It says for the disabled and people with cancer.
0:19:59 > 0:20:02It is for anybody who's generally very sick.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04Now, what is happening at the front of the train?
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Well, whatever happens at the front goes on at the back.
0:20:07 > 0:20:12So, a driver has jumped off as this train got in, a guard has jumped on
0:20:12 > 0:20:16and at the front, a guard has jumped off and a driver has jumped on.
0:20:16 > 0:20:21The sign at the front did say CST terminus. It's now saying Kurla.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25What we are waiting for is this light to switch on.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28It will tell us that this train is ready to depart.
0:20:29 > 0:20:30BELL RINGS
0:20:30 > 0:20:31The bell is ringing.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34Somebody is waving, so she's expectant,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36hoping that it's going to depart.
0:20:36 > 0:20:37And off it goes.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42That train took 4 minutes and 44 seconds.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44A bit over time but not bad.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Now, as passengers, we kind of take it for granted that we're
0:20:48 > 0:20:51going to end up exactly where we want to go,
0:20:51 > 0:20:54but organising all these trains into all these platforms is
0:20:54 > 0:20:59incredibly complicated and relies on maths and some clever automation.
0:21:04 > 0:21:08At ground level, the huge scale of this station is hard to comprehend.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14But up here on the roof, I've got a bird's-eye view.
0:21:18 > 0:21:20This is an incredible sight. Wow.
0:21:20 > 0:21:23It's so vast, it's so complicated.
0:21:23 > 0:21:27There's just so many tracks, so many trains, constantly coming in and out.
0:21:27 > 0:21:28It's amazing.
0:21:28 > 0:21:33The station complex is spread over nearly 30,000 square metres.
0:21:33 > 0:21:35There are 7 suburban platforms
0:21:35 > 0:21:38and 11 more that connect it to the rest of India.
0:21:41 > 0:21:44You realise how much organisation there's got to be to run these trains
0:21:44 > 0:21:46because, you know, it's not like a car where you can
0:21:46 > 0:21:49steer around someone else or go in different directions.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51A train's on tracks, it hasn't got any choice,
0:21:51 > 0:21:53it has to go where it's pointed.
0:21:56 > 0:21:59This complex web of tracks creates a massive challenge
0:21:59 > 0:22:02for the station's controllers.
0:22:02 > 0:22:03To avoid disaster,
0:22:03 > 0:22:07they must find a safe route through this maze for every single train.
0:22:09 > 0:22:11They run 1,500 services a day here
0:22:11 > 0:22:15and in rush-hour, trains are just 40 seconds apart.
0:22:16 > 0:22:19The man in charge of this super-sized puzzle
0:22:19 > 0:22:22is senior divisional operations manager KN Singh.
0:22:22 > 0:22:26Please, Mr Robert. Oh, thank you. Please, please. Wow.
0:22:26 > 0:22:30He's taking me to the heart of the network, the control room...
0:22:33 > 0:22:37..to explain the systems they use to organise the traffic.
0:22:37 > 0:22:40This is an extraordinary room. So what goes on in here?
0:22:40 > 0:22:44This is our main TMS room, what we call Train Management System room,
0:22:44 > 0:22:47and you are in the nerve centre.
0:22:47 > 0:22:51This 12-metre-long LED screen is a live map of the station
0:22:51 > 0:22:53and the lines that feed it.
0:22:55 > 0:23:00It shows where every train across 53km of greater Mumbai is right now.
0:23:03 > 0:23:04This board looks so confusing.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06There's so many lines, so many numbers on it,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09I can't make head or tail of it. What is this showing us?
0:23:09 > 0:23:11You can see, like in platform number four,
0:23:11 > 0:23:16the AN17 local is turning and you see the red... The red mark.
0:23:16 > 0:23:19..the red mark. So the red section on each line,
0:23:19 > 0:23:22that means that's actually a train in the platform at the moment.
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Good, good, good. And if the route is free, it will show you green,
0:23:25 > 0:23:27so train can move.
0:23:27 > 0:23:29TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Another train is moving.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34Now the red signal is moving ahead.
0:23:39 > 0:23:42And now it has covered a fairly large distance.
0:23:45 > 0:23:49And now it is almost standing at signal L001.
0:23:51 > 0:23:55Thanks to hundreds of kilometres of cables that transmit information
0:23:55 > 0:23:59from the track to the control room, the Train Management System,
0:23:59 > 0:24:04or TMS board, is able to pinpoint the exact location of every train.
0:24:05 > 0:24:08Each section of track has a low electrical current
0:24:08 > 0:24:09running through it.
0:24:11 > 0:24:12When the track is clear,
0:24:12 > 0:24:14the electrical circuit is complete
0:24:14 > 0:24:16and a switch called a relay
0:24:16 > 0:24:18is held closed.
0:24:19 > 0:24:22On the board, the route shows as green.
0:24:22 > 0:24:23But when a train enters
0:24:23 > 0:24:25that section of track,
0:24:25 > 0:24:26the circuit is broken
0:24:26 > 0:24:29and the relay switch releases.
0:24:29 > 0:24:31The track shows up as red - occupied.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38The switches, or relays, that communicate this information
0:24:38 > 0:24:40to the control room are housed here.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43Goodness me.
0:24:43 > 0:24:44That's a lot of wire.
0:24:46 > 0:24:49I love all the little clicking that is going on. Yeah.
0:24:49 > 0:24:53These relays are very instrumental in modern-day signalling.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58Relays don't only tell the control room
0:24:58 > 0:25:01and station controllers where the trains are.
0:25:02 > 0:25:06They also control the movements of those trains
0:25:06 > 0:25:09through the operation of points...
0:25:10 > 0:25:12..and signals.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17So, all these, then, these are the switches or the relays
0:25:17 > 0:25:20coming from all over CST? Is that correct?
0:25:20 > 0:25:23Yeah, all the relays are basically used to control
0:25:23 > 0:25:26the entire system of... All the signals and the points.
0:25:26 > 0:25:28..signal rows, points, track.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Have you seen the olden railways where we used to, uh...
0:25:32 > 0:25:36The big levers? The big lever frame which we used to pull.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40Now those jobs have been taken over by these relays.
0:25:40 > 0:25:45Right, so that's what these are doing. That's what these relays are doing.
0:25:46 > 0:25:51It's the connection between relays and signals that prevents accidents.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56A track relay is linked to the signal
0:25:56 > 0:25:59at the start of every section of track.
0:25:59 > 0:26:02The signal shows green when the circuit is complete...
0:26:04 > 0:26:07..telling the next train it's safe to proceed.
0:26:09 > 0:26:11But when a train enters and breaks the circuit,
0:26:11 > 0:26:15the signal defaults to red,
0:26:15 > 0:26:17warning the following train to stop.
0:26:19 > 0:26:22Although circuitry is doing most of the work,
0:26:22 > 0:26:25humans are still a crucial part of this system.
0:26:28 > 0:26:33At least eight people man this control room 24 hours a day.
0:26:33 > 0:26:37The safe running of the trains is in their hands.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39And in rush-hour, that's a nerve-racking task.
0:26:39 > 0:26:42With 88 trains coming in and out every hour,
0:26:42 > 0:26:44there's no space for error.
0:26:46 > 0:26:50And most days, there's a problem the computers can't fix.
0:26:50 > 0:26:53So, Mr Singh, what happens then if there is, like, a train breakdown
0:26:53 > 0:26:57or a signal failure? What do you do then to deal with that?
0:26:57 > 0:27:01If there's any failure of something, then my control takes over.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03HE SPEAKS ON PHONE
0:27:05 > 0:27:07If there is any problem, he will re-route,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09he will divert, he will cancel.
0:27:12 > 0:27:14See, he's constantly communicating with all the...
0:27:14 > 0:27:17Yeah, he's always talking to people. Yeah, he's always talking to people.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20So, if, say a train had broken down, he could talk to the engineering
0:27:20 > 0:27:23department or whoever was involved to fix it or whatever? Right, right.
0:27:23 > 0:27:26I mean, he talks to the engineer and he asks, "What is to be done?
0:27:26 > 0:27:28"Just tell me within minutes." Right.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31So, he decides everything in a split of a second.
0:27:32 > 0:27:35The room is full of quietly concentrating people,
0:27:35 > 0:27:38in stark contrast to the rest of the terminus.
0:27:41 > 0:27:45It's the perfect alliance of humans and technology,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and meant that those rush-hour trains we caught earlier arrived safely.
0:27:52 > 0:27:55And Mr KN Singh is with us here today. Now, Mr Singh,
0:27:55 > 0:27:58we've seen how incredibly complicated it is to run this station.
0:27:58 > 0:28:01We've seen it from the point of view of passengers and, of course,
0:28:01 > 0:28:02from your controllers.
0:28:02 > 0:28:06But what is the kind of capacity that you're running the station at?
0:28:06 > 0:28:10Well, I mean, the station of CST is running in the peak hours.
0:28:10 > 0:28:13It's running at almost 100% capacity.
0:28:13 > 0:28:17We do not have a chance to have any extra train at the station.
0:28:17 > 0:28:19During lean time, yes, we can do something,
0:28:19 > 0:28:21but the demand is only for the peak time.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Everyone wants to travel in the peak time.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26That must make your daily task in organising all this and all the
0:28:26 > 0:28:29tracks that go right out of Mumbai... That's got to make that quite complicated.
0:28:29 > 0:28:33It's a big responsibility to run the train punctually,
0:28:33 > 0:28:36safely, I mean, all the time. It's a tough job. It's a tough job.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39There's no doubt about it, because this entire city is dependent on you.
0:28:39 > 0:28:41Now, would it be fair to say, though,
0:28:41 > 0:28:45this is the most challenging station to run in the whole of India?
0:28:45 > 0:28:48Oh, yeah, absolutely.
0:28:48 > 0:28:51There are a lot of stations running a lot of trains but...
0:28:51 > 0:28:54I don't think we can compare CST
0:28:54 > 0:28:56with any other stations in India.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58Here, the number of trains which we are running,
0:28:58 > 0:29:02approximately 1,500 fast trains... Every day?
0:29:02 > 0:29:04Oh, every day.
0:29:04 > 0:29:07And both long-distance as well as suburban. Yeah.
0:29:07 > 0:29:09That, again, makes it a unique station in India.
0:29:09 > 0:29:14So, if you are running at peak times at 100% capacity,
0:29:14 > 0:29:18if something goes slightly wrong, not a big disaster but, you know,
0:29:18 > 0:29:22train breaks down, signals fail, all those sort of things, how on earth
0:29:22 > 0:29:26do you cope with that and how long does it take to get back on track?
0:29:26 > 0:29:29During peak time, we just pray to God that nothing should go wrong!
0:29:29 > 0:29:31Number one, first thing,
0:29:31 > 0:29:35because it's the performance at the peak hour that judges...
0:29:35 > 0:29:38How the whole... Yes. ..my customer satisfaction.
0:29:38 > 0:29:40At the same time, my satisfaction also. Yeah.
0:29:40 > 0:29:44Any failure in peak times simply cripples the operation. Right.
0:29:44 > 0:29:47Number one, it increases the overcrowding in trains.
0:29:47 > 0:29:49Sometimes, if it persists for a long time,
0:29:49 > 0:29:51then we have to cancel some trains.
0:29:51 > 0:29:53So that's why we want that there should not be any
0:29:53 > 0:29:57problem during peak times. Yes, so you really work towards making it all...
0:29:57 > 0:30:00We work making sure that our target, that 100% punctuality
0:30:00 > 0:30:02should be achieved during peak hours. Right.
0:30:02 > 0:30:04I must say, I don't envy your task.
0:30:04 > 0:30:07It sounds very stressful, very complicated. And you seem to deal
0:30:07 > 0:30:09with it very well, so thank you very much, Mr Singh.
0:30:09 > 0:30:11Thank you, Robert. Thank you.
0:30:12 > 0:30:15Down here on the concourse, as Robert just heard,
0:30:15 > 0:30:19this place is operating at capacity. Well, it certainly feels like it is.
0:30:19 > 0:30:22Things would have been very different back in 1887,
0:30:22 > 0:30:25when this station was completed.
0:30:25 > 0:30:27Back then, there were just four platforms here.
0:30:27 > 0:30:29It would have been a far more genteel scene.
0:30:29 > 0:30:31Really, the reason this station exists,
0:30:31 > 0:30:33the reason the Indian railways exist
0:30:33 > 0:30:36is because they were planned and built by the British.
0:30:36 > 0:30:38For that, we have to thank a man called Lord Dalhousie,
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Governor-General of British India.
0:30:40 > 0:30:44He's still commemorated on a bust on the front of this building.
0:30:44 > 0:30:47But he wasn't interested in building railways for altruistic reasons,
0:30:47 > 0:30:50he was interested in railways as strategic assets, moving soldiers
0:30:50 > 0:30:54around the subcontinent fast to deal with any threats to British rule.
0:30:54 > 0:30:57Also bringing valuable commodities out of the centre of India,
0:30:57 > 0:31:00bringing them into Mumbai, sticking them on boats and getting them
0:31:00 > 0:31:02out to trade with the rest of the world.
0:31:02 > 0:31:04John Sergeant has been in Darjeeling, where he's
0:31:04 > 0:31:07looking at how the history of one of those valuable commodities,
0:31:07 > 0:31:10tea, is inextricably linked with the history of railways.
0:31:14 > 0:31:17Far from this morning's Mumbai rush hour,
0:31:17 > 0:31:192,000km north-east,
0:31:19 > 0:31:23John's journey to Darjeeling takes him close to the border with Nepal.
0:31:35 > 0:31:37I'm in the mountains of northern India,
0:31:37 > 0:31:40among the green hills of the Himalayas.
0:31:40 > 0:31:43When officials from the British Raj came here,
0:31:43 > 0:31:47in the 19th century, they made a momentous discovery.
0:31:47 > 0:31:50They found this was the perfect place to grow these,
0:31:50 > 0:31:53high-quality tea bushes.
0:31:53 > 0:31:55The great Indian tea industry was born.
0:31:57 > 0:32:00For many, the name Darjeeling means tea.
0:32:02 > 0:32:05And the tea industry here is worth ?40 million a year.
0:32:15 > 0:32:17All right, tell me what you have to do.
0:32:21 > 0:32:23So, what about that one? Is that all right?
0:32:23 > 0:32:25No? Not that one.
0:32:25 > 0:32:27So it's just the tiny ones? OK.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Is that about that...all right?
0:32:30 > 0:32:32Yes? OK.
0:32:32 > 0:32:34So, we'll get going. Right.
0:32:34 > 0:32:36I've got to try and do this as quickly, all right?
0:32:36 > 0:32:39I'm not very fast. I think I need a bit more practice.
0:32:41 > 0:32:42Right. Yeah? All right?
0:32:44 > 0:32:47OK, right, so I have to do that, too. Right, ready? OK.
0:32:51 > 0:32:54People have been plucking tea here since the 1840s.
0:32:58 > 0:33:01But in those early days, it was difficult.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05Darjeeling's remote location meant it took nearly a week to take
0:33:05 > 0:33:09the tea, ready for export, to the Indian port of Kolkata,
0:33:09 > 0:33:12650km away.
0:33:13 > 0:33:15A quicker solution was needed.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20And in 1881, it arrived,
0:33:20 > 0:33:23in the shape of the Darjeeling Hill Railway.
0:33:27 > 0:33:31It's one of only two remaining steam railways in India.
0:33:33 > 0:33:36These antique locomotives were built in Britain
0:33:36 > 0:33:39and shipped here specially for this line.
0:33:42 > 0:33:46This is called the "toy train", but when it was built,
0:33:46 > 0:33:49it was very far from being a toy.
0:33:49 > 0:33:53It was a magnificent piece of engineering.
0:33:53 > 0:33:56The line is 82km long
0:33:56 > 0:33:58and rises more than 2,000 metres.
0:33:59 > 0:34:02This is high, high up in the mountains.
0:34:05 > 0:34:09For the engineers who built it, the only way to overcome the constant
0:34:09 > 0:34:15twists and turns and steep gradient was to use a narrow two foot gauge.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21This train made this whole area economically viable.
0:34:21 > 0:34:24Without this train, you couldn't have had all the tea plantations
0:34:24 > 0:34:28and you wouldn't have, in fact, known about Darjeeling.
0:34:28 > 0:34:32Darjeeling tea? Why? Because of this train.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36The opening of this line meant that the tea could be
0:34:36 > 0:34:41moved from plantation to port in less than 24 hours.
0:34:41 > 0:34:44And that was a big commercial advance.
0:34:46 > 0:34:49As exports grew, demand increased,
0:34:49 > 0:34:51and the plantations expanded.
0:34:53 > 0:34:58Within three years, almost a third of India's tea exports
0:34:58 > 0:35:02were carried by trains down these mountains.
0:35:02 > 0:35:06The high-grade leaves produced the champagne of teas.
0:35:07 > 0:35:12It was a precious cargo that brought much-needed wealth,
0:35:12 > 0:35:15and for nearly 100 years, the railway thrived.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21But the good times couldn't last.
0:35:21 > 0:35:24It became cheaper to transport the tea on road trucks.
0:35:26 > 0:35:28By the 1960s,
0:35:28 > 0:35:32the trains stopped carrying tea altogether.
0:35:32 > 0:35:37The relics of those glory days are tucked away in this railway workshop.
0:35:39 > 0:35:41These are some of the old freight wagons,
0:35:41 > 0:35:44still kept in this place, for some reason.
0:35:44 > 0:35:47And that's terrific, isn't it? You can just imagine it.
0:35:47 > 0:35:51This was built in 1926,
0:35:51 > 0:35:53and so, at that time...
0:35:55 > 0:35:59..something like 5,000 tonnes of tea
0:35:59 > 0:36:04would be produced every year and carried in these wagons.
0:36:04 > 0:36:07Memories of that time are fading.
0:36:08 > 0:36:12But they're easily revived - over a cup of tea, obviously.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16For these distinguished citizens,
0:36:16 > 0:36:20the age of steam is not deep in the past.
0:36:20 > 0:36:22How old are you?
0:36:22 > 0:36:24HE TRANSLATES
0:36:24 > 0:36:2790. 90? 90. Yes, right.
0:36:27 > 0:36:3176. 94. 94.
0:36:31 > 0:36:34What do you remember about the old days
0:36:34 > 0:36:37when the tea trains would come in?
0:37:09 > 0:37:13Nowadays, there are just three daily services.
0:37:15 > 0:37:18Each morning, two of the Glasgow-built locos
0:37:18 > 0:37:20are fired into life,
0:37:20 > 0:37:25ready to make the round trip between Darjeeling and Ghoom.
0:37:27 > 0:37:29Tourists have replaced the tea.
0:37:29 > 0:37:32Thousands visit here each year,
0:37:32 > 0:37:36keen to experience the romance of steam travel
0:37:36 > 0:37:39and to see India's part in all that.
0:37:41 > 0:37:42Time to hop aboard.
0:37:44 > 0:37:47So, how long have we got before the train leaves?
0:37:47 > 0:37:50Ah, 1:20, yes. 1:20, right. Yeah, yeah.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52So... Just now, it's time. Well... Yeah!
0:37:56 > 0:37:58Excuse me. Thank you.
0:37:59 > 0:38:01Ha-ha! That was a close one.
0:38:08 > 0:38:12For some of us, it's also an excuse to revisit our youth.
0:38:15 > 0:38:18I'm Jill, by the way. Oh, are you? Jill. Jill what? Jill Hemmings.
0:38:18 > 0:38:20Jill Hemmings. Hi, there.
0:38:20 > 0:38:23What do you think about this? Oh, it's wonderful, yes.
0:38:23 > 0:38:24Really exciting.
0:38:25 > 0:38:29Yes, how often do you get a train running on the high street?
0:38:29 > 0:38:31And there's that lovely...
0:38:31 > 0:38:35And does that remind you of when you were a child, seeing steam engines?
0:38:35 > 0:38:38Yes, yes. I like the noise. And the smell of it, isn't it?
0:38:38 > 0:38:42Yes, and actually, there's the smut coming in through the window.
0:38:42 > 0:38:46Oh, yes. When I was a child, we were told not to look out the windows.
0:38:46 > 0:38:50Absolutely. But did you? Well, yes. Yes, so did I!
0:38:50 > 0:38:52Along with my fellow passengers,
0:38:52 > 0:38:55I've really enjoyed steaming into the past.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59This is how we should travel.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11In Mumbai, it's mid-morning,
0:39:11 > 0:39:15and the commuters are being replaced by a new army of workers
0:39:15 > 0:39:17who use these trains to feed the city.
0:39:19 > 0:39:21It's just gone 11 o'clock
0:39:21 > 0:39:22and food and the train
0:39:22 > 0:39:26have a very unique and vital connection here in Mumbai.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27This is platform seven at CST
0:39:27 > 0:39:30and these fellows are known as the "dabbawalas".
0:39:30 > 0:39:32"Dabba" means box, or in this context, lunchbox,
0:39:32 > 0:39:33and "wala" means man,
0:39:33 > 0:39:36so they're the lunchbox men. The system is really simple.
0:39:36 > 0:39:39Basically, you trot off to work, somebody at home cooks your lunch,
0:39:39 > 0:39:44and they will hand-deliver it to your office every day.
0:39:44 > 0:39:47As we've seen, you've little chance of struggling onto a rush-hour
0:39:47 > 0:39:51train with your lunch in a bag, so this is an extraordinary solution.
0:39:53 > 0:39:57Someone at home hands your lunch to a dabbawala,
0:39:57 > 0:40:01who then does a relay race with his colleagues across the city,
0:40:01 > 0:40:03to get it to your desk.
0:40:05 > 0:40:09Hundreds of thousands of ordinary families across Mumbai use
0:40:09 > 0:40:11this service every day.
0:40:11 > 0:40:13Here's how it works for one couple.
0:40:13 > 0:40:18Hi, I'm Jignesh Ganatra. I live in the northern side of Bombay.
0:40:19 > 0:40:22I work for a bank in south Mumbai.
0:40:23 > 0:40:26I'm Dr Dipti Ginatra.
0:40:26 > 0:40:28I'm a homoeopath by profession.
0:40:28 > 0:40:32I stay with my mother-in-law, my husband,
0:40:32 > 0:40:34my kid.
0:40:34 > 0:40:36SHE SPEAKS OWN LANGUAGE
0:40:36 > 0:40:39And I have a maid. She helps me cook food,
0:40:39 > 0:40:42and also take care of my kid and my mother-in-law.
0:40:42 > 0:40:45Every morning, I cook food for my husband.
0:40:48 > 0:40:50I put different things in different compartments.
0:40:50 > 0:40:54It's okra, the ladyfinger...
0:40:54 > 0:40:56vegetable.
0:40:56 > 0:40:58The dal, rice and chapattis.
0:40:58 > 0:41:02So the dabbawala is a person who takes lunch
0:41:02 > 0:41:05in a box from home to the office area,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08the place where a person works.
0:41:08 > 0:41:11That's how he enjoys home-made food sitting in his office.
0:41:12 > 0:41:15Using the services of dabbawala is important
0:41:15 > 0:41:18because, in the morning when we commute by train,
0:41:18 > 0:41:19it's pretty crowded
0:41:19 > 0:41:23and it becomes really difficult to carry the dabba with us.
0:41:23 > 0:41:26That's why we are using the service of the dabbawala.
0:41:26 > 0:41:28In the afternoon, with lunch,
0:41:28 > 0:41:31he has salad, he has achar,
0:41:31 > 0:41:33he has buttermilk.
0:41:35 > 0:41:38Achar is a pickle.
0:41:38 > 0:41:39Home-made pickle.
0:41:42 > 0:41:45When the dabbawala actually comes at ten,
0:41:45 > 0:41:48they are so punctual that you can actually match your watch
0:41:48 > 0:41:50with the time, they are so good at it.
0:41:50 > 0:41:54My son, he hears the bell, and he is the one who shouts and yells,
0:41:54 > 0:41:56"I'll be the one who gives the dabba",
0:41:56 > 0:41:58so he goes, wherever he is in the house,
0:41:58 > 0:42:02he just rushes to that place, takes the dabba in this particular way.
0:42:02 > 0:42:05You give them the dabba and they are off in no time.
0:42:11 > 0:42:14If you see the way the dabbawalas walk,
0:42:14 > 0:42:17it's the amount of dabbas they carry every day.
0:42:17 > 0:42:20It is just so mind-blowing... How do they manage the whole thing?
0:42:20 > 0:42:22It's just unimaginable.
0:42:48 > 0:42:50Dabbawalas have quite a harrowing time.
0:42:50 > 0:42:54Come rain, come sun, whatever be the climate conditions,
0:42:54 > 0:42:58they always ensure the dabbas reach the office on time.
0:42:58 > 0:43:01They are very dedicated towards their task.
0:43:06 > 0:43:09THEY SHOUT OVER THE CROWD
0:43:19 > 0:43:23I think you can't think of dabbawalas without the trains.
0:43:23 > 0:43:26It is not going to be possible, because the way the train schedules
0:43:26 > 0:43:29are, they are generally, again, spot on time,
0:43:29 > 0:43:32so the entire routine which they have
0:43:32 > 0:43:35cannot be fulfilled without the trains being around.
0:44:22 > 0:44:26The way the dabbawalas function, it's like 99.99% accuracy.
0:44:26 > 0:44:30It never happens that a single dabba reaches a wrong hand.
0:44:37 > 0:44:41My wife is a fabulous cook.
0:44:41 > 0:44:44And more importantly, the food is cooked with love and affection,
0:44:44 > 0:44:46so that makes the taste even more better.
0:44:49 > 0:44:50Incredible, isn't it?
0:44:50 > 0:44:53Well, I'm joined by Dr Pawan Agrawal,
0:44:53 > 0:44:55who has studied the dabbawala, written a PhD all about them
0:44:55 > 0:44:57and now helps educate their children.
0:44:57 > 0:45:00So, Dr Agrawal, you're the perfect person to tell me
0:45:00 > 0:45:01more about this fascinating system.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04How many dabbawalas are there in Mumbai?
0:45:04 > 0:45:07Total 5,000 dabbawalas are there.
0:45:07 > 0:45:10They're delivering 200,000 tiffins every day.
0:45:10 > 0:45:14That must weigh an absolute tonne. What's the weight of all of that?
0:45:14 > 0:45:15How much are they carrying each?
0:45:15 > 0:45:18They carry approximately 60-65kg weight,
0:45:18 > 0:45:21because each person is carrying approximately 40 tiffins.
0:45:21 > 0:45:2640 tiffins with food, with basket comes 60-65kg weight.
0:45:26 > 0:45:315,000 dabbawalas delivering 200,000, about 65kg on their backs.
0:45:31 > 0:45:33Very strong men. How exactly does it work?
0:45:33 > 0:45:37It starts from 50-60km away.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39From my front door. Yes. I've cooked the meal.
0:45:39 > 0:45:40You cooked the meal. Yes.
0:45:40 > 0:45:43One person will come to collect from your front door.
0:45:43 > 0:45:45He will bring to the nearest station.
0:45:45 > 0:45:48He will hand it over in relay - second person.
0:45:48 > 0:45:51That second person will drop at the third station,
0:45:51 > 0:45:54and he will deliver to the last, fourth person.
0:45:55 > 0:45:58In the case of Jignesh and Dipti Ganatra,
0:45:58 > 0:46:02one dabbawala picks it up from their house by bike,
0:46:02 > 0:46:05transfers it to another at Mulund Station,
0:46:05 > 0:46:07and the final leg of its journey from CST
0:46:07 > 0:46:11is made by a third dabbawala and a hand cart.
0:46:11 > 0:46:14To make sure every lunch gets to the right person,
0:46:14 > 0:46:16they use a special coding system.
0:46:16 > 0:46:19I can see you've got some letters on this tiffin box...
0:46:19 > 0:46:21It's a coding system. Right.
0:46:21 > 0:46:23This is the residential area of the customer, Vile Parle.
0:46:23 > 0:46:26The man who collects the tiffin from home.
0:46:26 > 0:46:27This is the destination station.
0:46:27 > 0:46:31Nariman Point, the business district.
0:46:31 > 0:46:33This is the person who will pick it up from there,
0:46:33 > 0:46:36he will deliver to the Express Tower building on the 12th floor.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38That's brilliant. So it's like a postcode.
0:46:38 > 0:46:41You've got the place where it's being picked up from,
0:46:41 > 0:46:44that's Vile Parle, which is a suburb of Mumbai.
0:46:44 > 0:46:46This is the chap that picks it up, his unique code.
0:46:46 > 0:46:49This is the place it's being delivered to, Nariman Point,
0:46:49 > 0:46:51the business district, and this is the chap
0:46:51 > 0:46:53that will deliver it to him. They never do any mistakes.
0:46:53 > 0:46:58It's 1 in 60 million. I would say more perfect than that.
0:46:58 > 0:46:59Who's cooking the dabbas now?
0:46:59 > 0:47:01Because a lot of women are going to work here, aren't they?
0:47:01 > 0:47:04The food is cooked by a customer's wife, mother or sister.
0:47:04 > 0:47:06But what if they go to work?
0:47:06 > 0:47:07Cos the nuclear family is breaking up here
0:47:07 > 0:47:10just like it is in any other developing nation.
0:47:10 > 0:47:12It's true. Nowadays there is nuclear families.
0:47:12 > 0:47:14But there are many families where a cook person is there,
0:47:14 > 0:47:16maybe mother, sister, wife.
0:47:16 > 0:47:19In those families, where there is nobody there to cook,
0:47:19 > 0:47:22they ask to collect from a hotel or someplace.
0:47:22 > 0:47:24Right, so they're getting it delivered
0:47:24 > 0:47:26from a hotel or restaurants.
0:47:26 > 0:47:27Do you get a dabba delivered at work?
0:47:27 > 0:47:31Yes, I get it every day from my wife, because she cook very good.
0:47:31 > 0:47:35You're a good husband for saying that. You have to say that.
0:47:35 > 0:47:37Without the trains, would the dabbawala exist?
0:47:37 > 0:47:39Would their system run without the train network?
0:47:39 > 0:47:42No, it's impossible. Without local trains, they can't deliver.
0:47:42 > 0:47:45If I wanted to use this service, how much would it cost me a month?
0:47:45 > 0:47:48For one person each week, ?6 per month.
0:47:48 > 0:47:51Is that quite reasonable, is that very affordable?
0:47:51 > 0:47:52Yeah, very reasonable.
0:47:52 > 0:47:54Even for dabbawalas, it's very reasonable.
0:47:54 > 0:47:56They earn ?150 per month.
0:47:56 > 0:47:58Mumbai is like any other big city in India,
0:47:58 > 0:48:01there's lots of fast food joints, coffee shops opening up,
0:48:01 > 0:48:03particularly in these business districts.
0:48:03 > 0:48:07Will people stop getting home delivery food and start eating out?
0:48:07 > 0:48:10I don't think they will stop. The reason behind this?
0:48:10 > 0:48:14It is very important to take care of health.
0:48:14 > 0:48:17Because of health, many people want home-cooked food.
0:48:17 > 0:48:20Number two, outside, it's costly to eat.
0:48:20 > 0:48:22So despite fast foods are available,
0:48:22 > 0:48:25many people are only getting home-cooked services.
0:48:25 > 0:48:26I feel it is continuing.
0:48:26 > 0:48:28It's so ingrained in the culture here, isn't it?
0:48:28 > 0:48:32People are very used to having home-cooked food in their office.
0:48:32 > 0:48:36Yes, it's a culture, so they want to use it. I don't think it'll stop.
0:48:36 > 0:48:39Dr Agarwal, thank you very much. Thank you so much.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42Well, the system has been in place here since 1890,
0:48:42 > 0:48:44running every single day.
0:48:44 > 0:48:47The dabbawalas are almost as old as the station itself.
0:48:50 > 0:48:51For more than 120 years,
0:48:51 > 0:48:55this astonishing building has been a city icon.
0:48:56 > 0:49:00Designed by British architect Frederick William Stevens,
0:49:00 > 0:49:05the station was the earliest grand railway terminus built in India.
0:49:05 > 0:49:09The great Indian Peninsula Railway, India's first railway company,
0:49:09 > 0:49:12commissioned it as their headquarters.
0:49:12 > 0:49:15Today, the original site has ballooned
0:49:15 > 0:49:18to become a city in itself, with its own police force,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21dormitories, court and kitchen.
0:49:23 > 0:49:253,500 people work here.
0:49:29 > 0:49:32But it's the exterior that's attention-grabbing.
0:49:32 > 0:49:36It was inspired by the designs of traditional Indian palaces
0:49:36 > 0:49:39and European railway stations.
0:49:39 > 0:49:41It's a style that's unique to Mumbai.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45All right, everyone, follow me in.
0:49:45 > 0:49:46We're now going to be entering
0:49:46 > 0:49:50the Grand Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus Railway Station.
0:49:50 > 0:49:53Guide Viraat Kasliwal was brought up in Mumbai.
0:49:53 > 0:49:55Today he shares his passion for the city
0:49:55 > 0:49:59by taking tourists on walking tours.
0:49:59 > 0:50:03Work started in 1878. It took ten years to complete
0:50:03 > 0:50:06at a cost of ?260,000.
0:50:06 > 0:50:09It was the most expensive building to have been
0:50:09 > 0:50:10executed in Asia at that time.
0:50:13 > 0:50:16Viraat knows all there is to know about this building.
0:50:16 > 0:50:18But, like most Mumbaikars,
0:50:18 > 0:50:22he's never set foot in the oldest part of it.
0:50:22 > 0:50:24It's off limits to everyone,
0:50:24 > 0:50:27except railway officials and invited guests.
0:50:30 > 0:50:32Oh, my goodness me!
0:50:34 > 0:50:37Anita's got special permission for a private tour.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45So what do you think?
0:50:45 > 0:50:49I think it's awe-inspiring.
0:50:49 > 0:50:51It's absolutely fantastic to be in here under the main dome.
0:50:51 > 0:50:53It feels like we've entered into a church.
0:50:53 > 0:50:56It doesn't feel like a government office block.
0:50:56 > 0:50:57It doesn't feel like a railway station.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00It doesn't even feel like we're in India right now.
0:51:00 > 0:51:02It feels like we're somewhere completely different.
0:51:02 > 0:51:05Somewhere in Europe. Somewhere in the middle of Europe.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06It's simply beautiful.
0:51:09 > 0:51:13The decoration and beauty in here is astonishing.
0:51:15 > 0:51:18Wow. Oh, my goodness.
0:51:19 > 0:51:22I don't know what to look at first.
0:51:22 > 0:51:25Every available surface is covered with flowers,
0:51:25 > 0:51:28animals and railway motifs.
0:51:28 > 0:51:31You've got the Statue of Progress up there and the gargoyles
0:51:31 > 0:51:34and the beautiful sculpture work.
0:51:34 > 0:51:36They're my favourites, the crocodiles.
0:51:36 > 0:51:39Students from Mumbai's architectural college carved
0:51:39 > 0:51:43the decoration from Indian sandstone and limestone.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45It feels even more like a church up here.
0:51:45 > 0:51:50It was actually designed in a very grand and imperialistic manner.
0:51:50 > 0:51:55It was meant to stamp the authority of the British on the locals.
0:51:55 > 0:51:57It really does that. It does. It's a very grand structure.
0:51:57 > 0:52:00Imagine a time when there wasn't any development,
0:52:00 > 0:52:01there was just raw mud roads.
0:52:05 > 0:52:06When the station was completed,
0:52:06 > 0:52:09there were no cars or buses on the roads,
0:52:09 > 0:52:11just ox carts and pedestrians.
0:52:16 > 0:52:20This building was an imposing statement for the one million people
0:52:20 > 0:52:21who lived in Mumbai then,
0:52:21 > 0:52:26just as it is today for its 17 million inhabitants.
0:52:26 > 0:52:28Does the average Indian care about this building?
0:52:28 > 0:52:31Do people driving past look up at it?
0:52:31 > 0:52:32Mumbai is a very fast city
0:52:32 > 0:52:34and a lot of people don't have a lot of time for anything other
0:52:34 > 0:52:38than their work, but this is the one building that always gets people
0:52:38 > 0:52:41to look up and take notice. It's a symbol for what's most important.
0:52:41 > 0:52:43The railways are the most important thing to not just the country
0:52:43 > 0:52:46but even the city and the functioning of the city.
0:52:46 > 0:52:49And what a privilege to be allowed access up here. Absolutely.
0:52:49 > 0:52:50Nobody gets to come up here!
0:52:53 > 0:52:56Today the tickets hall is the only are of the historic building
0:52:56 > 0:52:59the public can enter.
0:52:59 > 0:53:03Local historian Shradda is showing me some overlooked features
0:53:03 > 0:53:06in the hustle and bustle of the modern station.
0:53:08 > 0:53:10I know it's a room full of people,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12but the first thing I had to do was look up.
0:53:12 > 0:53:14Yeah, the first thing you notice up here
0:53:14 > 0:53:17is these beautifully painted stars.
0:53:17 > 0:53:20That's why this chamber is also called Star Chamber.
0:53:20 > 0:53:24The monogram there, it's quite interesting.
0:53:24 > 0:53:26It's a coat of arms with an elephant, a locomotive,
0:53:26 > 0:53:29St George's cross.
0:53:29 > 0:53:32You can see the old mode of transport and the modern mode.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39But this is the ticket hall, so this is the only bit of CST that
0:53:39 > 0:53:42members of the public can come into, is that right?
0:53:42 > 0:53:45Originally, when Frederick William Stevens,
0:53:45 > 0:53:48the architect of the building, designed this particular hall,
0:53:48 > 0:53:52he designed it as a booking office and a waiting room.
0:53:55 > 0:53:59This today remains the only interface of this structure
0:53:59 > 0:54:00with the public.
0:54:00 > 0:54:03But now it's a really different place.
0:54:03 > 0:54:05Now lots of people are buying tickets here to travel
0:54:05 > 0:54:07locally around Mumbai. Yeah.
0:54:08 > 0:54:12Today's commuters seem oblivious to the heritage around them,
0:54:12 > 0:54:16but there's a piece of railway history hidden in the station
0:54:16 > 0:54:19that predates the building and all the present-day structure.
0:54:22 > 0:54:25Somehow we've managed to find the quietest bit of the station.
0:54:25 > 0:54:26Where are you taking me?
0:54:26 > 0:54:28To the end of this platform to show you
0:54:28 > 0:54:32the place from where the first ever train in India ran,
0:54:32 > 0:54:34way back in 1853.
0:54:34 > 0:54:36Where was it going?
0:54:36 > 0:54:41It was going to Thane, which was 21 miles from the station.
0:54:41 > 0:54:44The station was called Bori Bunder at that time.
0:54:44 > 0:54:45What does Bori Bunder mean?
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Bori means sacks of cotton, and Bunder means port.
0:54:49 > 0:54:51This area was called Bori Bunder
0:54:51 > 0:54:56because of its vicinity with the port of Bombay.
0:54:56 > 0:55:00Cotton was king in 19th century India, the country's biggest export.
0:55:00 > 0:55:04And the original Bori Bunder station was perfectly positioned
0:55:04 > 0:55:06to get cotton to the port.
0:55:09 > 0:55:11So where would this platform have been?
0:55:11 > 0:55:14Somewhere just before that bridge.
0:55:14 > 0:55:16Just there? Just there, yes.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19There's nothing to signify that it was here, there's no blue plaque.
0:55:19 > 0:55:21I'm a little bit disappointed.
0:55:22 > 0:55:26You're in Mumbai, so here change is the only constant.
0:55:26 > 0:55:30The railways have been continuously running for the last 160 years,
0:55:30 > 0:55:32so there have been a lot of changes.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37There's no place for sentiment in this crowded station.
0:55:37 > 0:55:41Tracks and signals have jostled history out of the way.
0:55:41 > 0:55:44But what happened here laid the foundation
0:55:44 > 0:55:46for India's modern rail network.
0:55:48 > 0:55:54Today that system transports more passengers than any other on Earth.
0:55:57 > 0:55:59This place is a palace to rail, isn't it?
0:55:59 > 0:56:01It absolutely is, and intentionally so.
0:56:01 > 0:56:04The British set out to make a real statement here.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07They were saying, "You've seen those big, grand 19th century stations
0:56:07 > 0:56:09"in Europe, well, this is going to cast all that in the shade."
0:56:09 > 0:56:13You can read that building, there's a statue of progress on the top.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16She's flanked by the statue of commerce and agriculture.
0:56:16 > 0:56:19This building is saying that we're going to use this cutting-edge
0:56:19 > 0:56:23new technology, the railways, to link India up, exploit this vast,
0:56:23 > 0:56:26natural treasure house, and create an economic superpower.
0:56:26 > 0:56:28Put it on the map and, of course, to a large extent,
0:56:28 > 0:56:29that is what happened.
0:56:29 > 0:56:32I think it's true that the railways have helped to make Mumbai
0:56:32 > 0:56:35and India a major player in the global economy today.
0:56:35 > 0:56:37Yeah, you're absolutely right.
0:56:37 > 0:56:40It really is the central part of the city's transport hub.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42But when you first look at it, what struck me is,
0:56:42 > 0:56:46like the rest of India, it's completely insane - people hanging
0:56:46 > 0:56:49off trains, millions of people, who knows where they're going -
0:56:49 > 0:56:51but then you look closely
0:56:51 > 0:56:54and you see that there is structure, it's pretty slick and it's precise.
0:56:54 > 0:56:56But then it would have to be.
0:56:56 > 0:56:58There is no way you could run an organisation this big
0:56:58 > 0:57:01and this complex without some kind of ironclad system.
0:57:01 > 0:57:05But then I don't think I could cope with that commute, not every day.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08These Mumbaikars, they're a tough crowd, aren't they? They really are.
0:57:08 > 0:57:11We have only just scratched the surface of this station.
0:57:11 > 0:57:13Here's what's coming up next time.
0:57:18 > 0:57:21Today, we immersed you in the madness
0:57:21 > 0:57:23and chaos of a Mumbai rush hour.
0:57:25 > 0:57:29Tomorrow, we'll transport you long-distance across India.
0:57:29 > 0:57:31Anita escapes the rush-hour crowds
0:57:31 > 0:57:34to ride one of the most popular trains,
0:57:34 > 0:57:38but finds conditions onboard just as challenging.
0:57:38 > 0:57:40It's every man and woman for themselves.
0:57:40 > 0:57:42Squeeze in where you can.
0:57:44 > 0:57:47I visit the extraordinary super-sized facility
0:57:47 > 0:57:50meeting the needs of long-distance passengers.
0:57:50 > 0:57:54This is a big pile of dirty laundry. How much comes in here every day?
0:57:54 > 0:58:00Every day, around 25,000 bed sheets. 25,000? 25,000.
0:58:00 > 0:58:02Jewellery, motorbikes and furniture,
0:58:02 > 0:58:06Robert discovers what else travels alongside passengers.
0:58:06 > 0:58:09I'm very confident that in these packages
0:58:09 > 0:58:11there is a large amount of fish.
0:58:11 > 0:58:14That is basically information that is going in through my nose.
0:58:14 > 0:58:16And from fish to fine dining.
0:58:16 > 0:58:19We take a tour of India's poshest train.
0:58:19 > 0:58:22Who spends the most money?
0:58:22 > 0:58:23The Russians.
0:58:23 > 0:58:24All that coming up tomorrow.
0:58:26 > 0:58:28Thanks for joining us here in Mumbai.
0:58:28 > 0:58:31See you next time, but for now, goodbye. Bye. Bye.
0:59:03 > 0:59:07# Here am I
0:59:07 > 0:59:09# Sitting in a tin can... #
0:59:09 > 0:59:11SONAR PINGS