0:00:03 > 0:00:06This week, we are plunging you into the chaotic
0:00:06 > 0:00:09and exhilarating heart of the world's busiest railway.
0:00:11 > 0:00:14Eight million passengers use these trains each day,
0:00:14 > 0:00:19packed in more tightly than anywhere else on the planet.
0:00:19 > 0:00:22Welcome to India. We are in the heart of Mumbai.
0:00:22 > 0:00:25We're standing in front of one of the most famous
0:00:25 > 0:00:29stations in the world, the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus,
0:00:29 > 0:00:31known affectionately by the locals as CST.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35This really is a station running to the limits of what's possible.
0:00:35 > 0:00:36This time,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39we go behind the scenes of this incredible station to see how the
0:00:39 > 0:00:42railway staff juggle the huge numbers of passengers,
0:00:42 > 0:00:46the daily problems and, of course, those inevitable delays.
0:00:46 > 0:00:48Here's what's coming up.
0:00:48 > 0:00:51Over four programmes, we're revealing the organisational
0:00:51 > 0:00:54wonders of this super-sized transport operation.
0:00:56 > 0:01:00Tonight, we'll show you the side of the station passengers don't
0:01:00 > 0:01:02get to see,
0:01:02 > 0:01:04we witness a crisis in the control room...
0:01:08 > 0:01:12..and discover the secret station workers who only come out at night.
0:01:15 > 0:01:18Robert's unpacking the feats of engineering that keep this
0:01:18 > 0:01:23place on track. Tonight, he visits a city-sized repair depot.
0:01:23 > 0:01:27Everywhere you look, there's someone under a train, on a train,
0:01:27 > 0:01:28in a train, it's just extraordinary.
0:01:30 > 0:01:34Anita's checking out what life's like for Mumbai's commuters.
0:01:34 > 0:01:36Now, that is an unique experience.
0:01:38 > 0:01:41Tonight, she heads onto the roads of this crowded city.
0:01:41 > 0:01:45- Is this a new road? - It's a new road, yes.
0:01:45 > 0:01:47It's the worst new road I've ever...
0:01:49 > 0:01:52And John Sergeant continues his exploration of the history
0:01:52 > 0:01:54of Indian railways.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59He discovers how a silver ball keeps passengers safe.
0:01:59 > 0:02:01- Ah, we've got... - HE LAUGHS
0:02:03 > 0:02:06Welcome to the world's busiest railway.
0:02:26 > 0:02:30Mumbai is India's economic powerhouse, and this station,
0:02:30 > 0:02:33CST, is the engine that drives it,
0:02:33 > 0:02:37bringing commuters from the northern suburbs down to the southern
0:02:37 > 0:02:39business district to work.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46This station runs passenger trains 365 days a year,
0:02:46 > 0:02:4921 hours a day, and for six of those hours, during the morning
0:02:49 > 0:02:53and evening peak periods, the trains are so packed, they've come
0:02:53 > 0:02:55up with a descriptive term for it -
0:02:55 > 0:02:57it's called "super dense crush load".
0:02:57 > 0:03:00And it's very apt. When you're on one of those trains,
0:03:00 > 0:03:04it really does feel like the air is being crushed out of your body.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07And the reason it's so busy? Well, it's a numbers game.
0:03:07 > 0:03:10Mumbai grew incredibly fast as a city and now
0:03:10 > 0:03:14eight million journeys are made on this rail network every working day.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17And the railways are desperately trying to keep up with those figures.
0:03:17 > 0:03:20They've scheduled more trains, they've made every train a third
0:03:20 > 0:03:23longer and they are still trying to increase that capacity even more.
0:03:23 > 0:03:26The trouble is, there's so little room for manoeuvre.
0:03:26 > 0:03:29The controllers are responsible for getting these trains
0:03:29 > 0:03:32in and out of these stations in the morning and the evening,
0:03:32 > 0:03:36desperately juggle the schedule and space to try and ensure they don't
0:03:36 > 0:03:39risk making hundreds of thousands of commuters very angry indeed.
0:03:43 > 0:03:46Between five and eight o'clock at night,
0:03:46 > 0:03:50all Mumbai's 5.5 million rail commuters care about is getting home.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55The station is hot and very crowded.
0:03:55 > 0:03:59Passengers are tired and need their trains to be on time.
0:04:02 > 0:04:07We sent our cameras up into the nerve centre of the station,
0:04:07 > 0:04:11the control room, just as rush hour was gearing up one evening,
0:04:11 > 0:04:16to see how the controllers deal with this high-pressure part of the day.
0:04:16 > 0:04:19Our guide is section controller Sachin Katika.
0:04:19 > 0:04:22It's a very big responsibility we are having on our shoulder.
0:04:22 > 0:04:25We have to take the decisions very cool and calmly.
0:04:25 > 0:04:29We are doing our best and hoping for the best.
0:04:29 > 0:04:31It's coming up to five o'clock.
0:04:31 > 0:04:35Trains are running just 40 seconds apart.
0:04:35 > 0:04:39And at the moment, the control team are responsible for more
0:04:39 > 0:04:43than 60 trains on the lines in and out of the station.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46There's so much traffic that the controllers must
0:04:46 > 0:04:50rely on a computerised system to tell them where every train is.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52This enormous board is a live
0:04:52 > 0:04:56map of the tracks across 53km of Greater Mumbai.
0:04:56 > 0:05:01The red dots indicate that a train is occupying the platform. See?
0:05:01 > 0:05:03There is the one train on platform 15.
0:05:03 > 0:05:06And the green dots, which are moving right now,
0:05:06 > 0:05:08they show that a train is moving.
0:05:08 > 0:05:10But when something goes wrong,
0:05:10 > 0:05:14it's down to the skills of the controller to put it right.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19So far, everything is running smoothly.
0:05:19 > 0:05:22Trains are arriving and departing on time.
0:05:22 > 0:05:27But almost 50,000 people are moving through the station when controllers
0:05:27 > 0:05:32learn of a problem that could bring the whole system to a grinding halt.
0:05:43 > 0:05:46There's a broken-down train sitting on the tracks, blocking
0:05:46 > 0:05:51the high-speed route into Mumbai, and services are stacking up behind it.
0:05:51 > 0:05:55These are the trains that commuters are waiting for at the station.
0:05:55 > 0:05:57If they can't get into CST,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00then the whole evening schedule will be delayed.
0:06:00 > 0:06:04This could spell disaster for tonight's rush hour.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07The controllers need to act quickly
0:06:07 > 0:06:10and find a way to get trains into the station.
0:06:12 > 0:06:16If a train has been delayed for 10, 15 minutes, all the things goes up.
0:06:16 > 0:06:19It's the evening peak.
0:06:19 > 0:06:22And a lot of passengers waiting for a train.
0:06:22 > 0:06:24So if anything gets delayed,
0:06:24 > 0:06:29then it's not a good thing for the people of India.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38Chief controller for suburban punctuality Akhilesh Prasad, and his
0:06:38 > 0:06:42team rely on their intimate knowledge of the complex mesh of tracks
0:06:42 > 0:06:44to work out a diversion route.
0:06:55 > 0:06:59Karjat 36, the first train behind the blockage, is the priority.
0:06:59 > 0:07:03It's diverted onto a parallel line and back onto its original route
0:07:03 > 0:07:05and Vidyavihar Station.
0:07:05 > 0:07:08The remaining blocked trains are also sent this way.
0:07:16 > 0:07:19We are diverting the trains and we are cancelling some locals,
0:07:19 > 0:07:22so that...to maintain the punctuality of peak.
0:07:25 > 0:07:27But this is only a temporary fix.
0:07:27 > 0:07:32The train with the suspected fire on board is still blocking the line.
0:07:39 > 0:07:43It's a small incident with the potential to have a big impact.
0:07:43 > 0:07:46If controllers don't get the train off the line and the flow
0:07:46 > 0:07:50of traffic back to normal, Mumbai's commuters will face long delays.
0:07:58 > 0:08:01It takes 40 minutes to get the damaged train off the main line
0:08:01 > 0:08:04and into a siding.
0:08:04 > 0:08:07An event like this could have brought CST to a standstill,
0:08:07 > 0:08:11but the quick-thinking controllers have averted disaster.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16Here it was. This is the section.
0:08:16 > 0:08:20Vikhroli. It was delayed. And now it is moving.
0:08:20 > 0:08:24Now the line is clear, trains can revert to their pre-planned routes
0:08:24 > 0:08:28and the flow of trains into and back out of CST can run on schedule.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38On the platforms, passengers are unaware that the controllers
0:08:38 > 0:08:41have ensured they all get home on time tonight.
0:08:46 > 0:08:48The control team breathe a sigh of relief.
0:08:50 > 0:08:54It's under control and everything has been manageable,
0:08:54 > 0:08:57and punctuality is up to the mark.
0:08:57 > 0:09:00And there is no delay so far.
0:09:00 > 0:09:01Everything is under control.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06Rush hour is back on track.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13So, the man in charge of the control room
0:09:13 > 0:09:16is the senior divisional manager, KN Singh.
0:09:16 > 0:09:18Mr Singh, from an outsider's point of view, it does
0:09:18 > 0:09:22look like you're working absolutely at the limit of what is possible.
0:09:22 > 0:09:25- Absolutely. - Would that be a fair assessment?
0:09:25 > 0:09:27Absolutely, a fair assessment.
0:09:27 > 0:09:29In peak hours, we are running with 100% capacity.
0:09:29 > 0:09:34There is hardly any chance to add anything or to leave anything
0:09:34 > 0:09:36- and there's no chance of any error. - Right.
0:09:36 > 0:09:39And everyone that works here knows they've got to get the train
0:09:39 > 0:09:41- there on time? - Everyone, all my technical team,
0:09:41 > 0:09:45as well as those who are manning the team, they all are absolutely
0:09:45 > 0:09:48working for the system to run at 100% punctuality.
0:09:48 > 0:09:50So, what are your punctuality rates here?
0:09:51 > 0:09:56We are having around 90%, 90% punctuality we are maintaining,
0:09:56 > 0:09:59but in peak hours, that is the morning and evening peak,
0:09:59 > 0:10:03- we do achieve 95-plus% of punctuality.- That's pretty amazing.
0:10:03 > 0:10:06With the amount of trains that are coming in, it's extraordinary.
0:10:06 > 0:10:08- We are trying to achieve 100%. - Right.
0:10:08 > 0:10:11Trains must run on time with the kind of advancement
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and signals and all the things...
0:10:13 > 0:10:15In that film,
0:10:15 > 0:10:18we saw a train that had actually broken down on one of the tracks
0:10:18 > 0:10:22coming into the station, which clearly caused a bit of a problem.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25What other problems do you face on a daily basis?
0:10:25 > 0:10:28In such a big system, we have various types of failures,
0:10:28 > 0:10:30like failures in train itself, which you saw.
0:10:30 > 0:10:32There can be failure in old equipment,
0:10:32 > 0:10:34there can be failure in track.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36- There can be failure of signals. - Right.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39So, there are various types of failure which can happen.
0:10:39 > 0:10:43That is certainly something we do hear in the UK, signal failure -
0:10:43 > 0:10:47you're sitting on a train and it's not moving -
0:10:47 > 0:10:49but what is signal failure?
0:10:49 > 0:10:53Signal failure is a generic term for a lot of failures with
0:10:53 > 0:10:58the signals, like many times signal can go wrong. It can just go off.
0:10:58 > 0:11:00There can be failures in the points,
0:11:00 > 0:11:03which will not be able to divert trains from one line to another,
0:11:03 > 0:11:06from platform one to another, and those things.
0:11:06 > 0:11:08- That could be a signal failure as well.- Yeah, yeah.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10There are a lot of reasons for that.
0:11:10 > 0:11:13There can be failures in the circuitry itself.
0:11:13 > 0:11:16There can be failures in the cable. Sometimes, people may...
0:11:16 > 0:11:19A theft take place and they take all the cables.
0:11:19 > 0:11:21You've got a lot of wires joined to a lot of tracks...
0:11:21 > 0:11:24A lot of wires, a lot of trains going to the point.
0:11:24 > 0:11:29Yes. So, what is the kind of rate of failures on a sort of average day?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31How many failures do you get like that?
0:11:31 > 0:11:33It used to happen a lot,
0:11:33 > 0:11:37but now we have control of signal failure at a large extent, but still
0:11:37 > 0:11:42it is around five to six failures a day in our entire system.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45In the Mumbai suburban system, it is still a cause of concern
0:11:45 > 0:11:48and we are trying to control it also.
0:11:48 > 0:11:54We have kept our specialised men who can fix the signal very fast.
0:11:54 > 0:11:57So, someone actually goes out, physically fixes it on the track?
0:11:57 > 0:11:59Yeah, if there are any problems,
0:11:59 > 0:12:02our men can set right within a few minutes.
0:12:02 > 0:12:06- Thank you very much, Mr Singh. - Thank you, thank you.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09It's early afternoon at the station.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12A brief lull between the intensity of the morning
0:12:12 > 0:12:14and evening rush hours.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18But for one group of people, the pressure's always on.
0:12:18 > 0:12:24140 drivers, known as motormen around here, are on shift today.
0:12:24 > 0:12:27Driving is a responsible and stressful job,
0:12:27 > 0:12:31getting crowded trains safely in and out of the station.
0:12:31 > 0:12:34It's made more difficult by the behaviour of passengers
0:12:34 > 0:12:38who frequently cross and walk on the lines.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40This is an unavoidable hazard for drivers.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45By the time they see someone on the track, it's too late to stop.
0:12:45 > 0:12:49Nine people a day across Mumbai are killed when they are hit by trains.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53And the motormen are at the sharp end of those figures.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56We went on board with one to take in the view from the cab
0:12:56 > 0:12:59and find out how he feels about his job.
0:13:04 > 0:13:08My name is Sabu Anthony. I'm working for Central Railway as a motorman.
0:13:08 > 0:13:12I've been working for the railways now for the past 24 years.
0:13:20 > 0:13:24I like being a motorman because it's a very responsible job.
0:13:29 > 0:13:33We have to be at that end of the platform before the train comes.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42We have two sets of keys, so we have to check the warning system
0:13:42 > 0:13:44and the brake system.
0:13:50 > 0:13:52OK, we are ready to start.
0:14:00 > 0:14:04Driving a train, it is much harder than it looks.
0:14:04 > 0:14:07You see it as very easy because that person is just sitting
0:14:07 > 0:14:10and moving the handle from here to there.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14But it takes a lot on you mentally and physically,
0:14:14 > 0:14:17doing the same thing again and again and again.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23The motorman has to have very good concentration.
0:14:23 > 0:14:27He has to be of a very tough mind and the third thing is,
0:14:27 > 0:14:29he has to be very patient.
0:14:29 > 0:14:32We are slowing down because we are going to stop at the next station.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38During the peak hours, we take more precautions
0:14:38 > 0:14:41because the trains are all getting jam-packed.
0:14:45 > 0:14:47We are late by one minute.
0:14:47 > 0:14:50We started two minutes late, so now we are one minute late.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52We have made up one minute.
0:15:02 > 0:15:05This train has a maximum speed of 100kph.
0:15:05 > 0:15:08We are used to driving at that speed.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12So you just concentrate on your job, because even a small
0:15:12 > 0:15:14lapse of concentration can cost you very badly.
0:15:16 > 0:15:17As a motorman, we used to get
0:15:17 > 0:15:21nervous whenever anybody walks on the track.
0:15:21 > 0:15:25Now it's like we are used to it, people walking on the tracks.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28The only thing we have to do is keep on whistling out for them
0:15:28 > 0:15:30to wander.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32Trespassers are a norm.
0:15:32 > 0:15:35There have been many suicide cases also.
0:15:35 > 0:15:40It has happened many times to me.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45In this 12 years, you can say about 25 to 30 cases.
0:15:45 > 0:15:47Everybody wants to avoid that.
0:15:51 > 0:15:55If you are on a high speed and you've got a trespasser quite
0:15:55 > 0:16:01close to your train, you feel your heart beats a bit more higher,
0:16:01 > 0:16:05because you are trying to save him and drive the train also.
0:16:05 > 0:16:10If it is possible, we try our best to apply the emergency brake.
0:16:10 > 0:16:13Other than that, we cannot do anything.
0:16:25 > 0:16:29We are going to reach the last station, Thane.
0:16:29 > 0:16:33We will be going to Thane platform number 1. We are on time.
0:16:35 > 0:16:39Once you do your job correctly, without any incident and without
0:16:39 > 0:16:43any delay, you feel very satisfied, I've done my job properly.
0:16:49 > 0:16:53Sabu and his colleagues are under pressure every hour of the day,
0:16:53 > 0:16:56although stress levels rise during rush hour,
0:16:56 > 0:16:59when there's no wiggle room in the schedule.
0:16:59 > 0:17:02But they do have a place where they can relax,
0:17:02 > 0:17:06and Anita's got special permission to take us inside.
0:17:06 > 0:17:10We're leaving the concourse and entering a restricted area.
0:17:10 > 0:17:13This is where Sabu would hang out before he'd begin his shift to
0:17:13 > 0:17:14drive the train.
0:17:14 > 0:17:18It says quite clearly here - outsider's entry strictly prohibited.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22We are going in for one time only to the motorman's lobby.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24This is where the drivers hang out. Follow me.
0:17:28 > 0:17:30Hello, gentlemen. Hello, hello.
0:17:30 > 0:17:33So, the first thing the driver would do is clock in.
0:17:33 > 0:17:36And the way he would do that is to sign the register.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39Thank you.
0:17:39 > 0:17:40Here's the register.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43This is where he says - I'm here, ready for duty.
0:17:43 > 0:17:46Second thing that happens, very important, is the breathalyser test
0:17:46 > 0:17:49and they must not have had a drop of alcohol for at least eight hours.
0:17:49 > 0:17:54Then they come over to the this area. This is the nerve centre.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56Right here on the screen,
0:17:56 > 0:17:59they have been fed information from the control room
0:17:59 > 0:18:03about live train departures, what trains are coming in,
0:18:03 > 0:18:05what platforms they're going to, what trains are going out,
0:18:05 > 0:18:08so they can pick up all that information.
0:18:08 > 0:18:11Then they make a trip to something that's ubiquitous all over India.
0:18:11 > 0:18:13You have them in homes, in your car.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16It is, of course, the all-important shrine.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20And here we have a Hindu temple, with a selection of gods
0:18:20 > 0:18:21that you can pray to to bless you
0:18:21 > 0:18:24before you begin your day's work, very important.
0:18:24 > 0:18:27The next thing they will do
0:18:27 > 0:18:28is come to these blue files.
0:18:28 > 0:18:32These blue files tell them what engineering works are taking place,
0:18:32 > 0:18:34so they will know where the delays will be.
0:18:34 > 0:18:36And then they can have a chill out.
0:18:36 > 0:18:38This is their social area. Let's have a peek.
0:18:40 > 0:18:43So you may have noticed quite a lot of men in here.
0:18:43 > 0:18:45CROWD CHATTERS
0:18:45 > 0:18:50That's because there are 733 motormen
0:18:50 > 0:18:52and ONE motorwoman.
0:18:52 > 0:18:55I can't imagine that she spends much time in here.
0:18:55 > 0:18:58This is a very well-respected job.
0:18:58 > 0:19:02They get paid seven times more than the national average salary
0:19:02 > 0:19:07and they have to train for 13 years, that includes on-the-job experience.
0:19:07 > 0:19:10Compare that to a train driver in the UK, who has to train for two years.
0:19:10 > 0:19:13In here, you also have noticeboards,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15these are telling them all about their union meetings.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18Oh, we do have some women in here. Very official-looking women.
0:19:18 > 0:19:19Hello, ladies.
0:19:19 > 0:19:22Up there, you have the canteen.
0:19:22 > 0:19:24Up here, you have their lockers.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27And then they wait. They wait until their shift begins.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29It's a six-hour shift,
0:19:29 > 0:19:32which will consist of one long journey, one shorter journey.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35The trains run for 21 hours, so, if they're on a very early shift,
0:19:35 > 0:19:37there is a dormitory where they can have a nap.
0:19:37 > 0:19:41These chaps work incredibly hard, but then so do the carriages.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44They do 500 kilometres every day,
0:19:44 > 0:19:48so after every 18 months, they have a complete overhaul.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50MACHINE BLARES
0:19:52 > 0:19:56Ten kilometres north of the station is the Matunga Workshop.
0:20:03 > 0:20:07Over 7,000 people work at this 86-acre site,
0:20:07 > 0:20:09inspecting and repairing carriages.
0:20:11 > 0:20:15It's so amazingly huge here, it's just vast.
0:20:15 > 0:20:16I've seen barely any of it.
0:20:16 > 0:20:18Everywhere you look, there's someone under a train,
0:20:18 > 0:20:21on a train, in a train, taking something out of a train,
0:20:21 > 0:20:24putting something in a train. It's just extraordinary!
0:20:26 > 0:20:30They overhaul more than 3,000 coaches here every year.
0:20:30 > 0:20:33In charge of this mammoth undertaking
0:20:33 > 0:20:36is chief mechanical engineer Amit Saurastri.
0:20:37 > 0:20:40So, Amit, how many coaches are in here at one time?
0:20:40 > 0:20:42It's... There's so many.
0:20:42 > 0:20:46At any point of time, we have around some 200-odd coaches.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49And so, how old are the coaches that you're looking after here?
0:20:49 > 0:20:53A coach's life varies from around, say, two years to 25 years.
0:20:53 > 0:20:55Oh, I see, so some of them can be quite new.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- You'd still check them to be sure? - Yeah. Yeah, yeah.
0:20:58 > 0:21:00So you're checking everything on the coach?
0:21:00 > 0:21:03- The brakes, the wheels, the bearings, the seats.- Yeah, yeah.
0:21:03 > 0:21:04It seems to be everything you're doing.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07- Absolutely, we can't take a chance. - Yeah.
0:21:07 > 0:21:09Why do they need to be checked every 18 months?
0:21:09 > 0:21:11It seems like a lot of checking.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14In every train, around 1,000 persons are travelling,
0:21:14 > 0:21:16so, to ensure the safety of every person,
0:21:16 > 0:21:18it is mandatory to have these safety checks.
0:21:18 > 0:21:21MACHINE BLARES
0:21:21 > 0:21:24As soon as a carriage arrives, it gets stripped of its wheels.
0:21:26 > 0:21:27There it goes, it's going up.
0:21:33 > 0:21:34It actually looks remarkably simple.
0:21:34 > 0:21:36CRANE WHIRS
0:21:36 > 0:21:39Just a massive crane, with great big hooks
0:21:39 > 0:21:42that lifts the whole thing up in the air.
0:21:42 > 0:21:43THEY SHOUT
0:21:45 > 0:21:47I've been round a few engineering works,
0:21:47 > 0:21:49this is one of the most extreme.
0:21:49 > 0:21:51It's pretty impressive.
0:21:54 > 0:21:56'The wheel units, known as bogies,
0:21:56 > 0:22:00'are wheeled out of the way for a separate inspection.
0:22:00 > 0:22:03'Because these are the only parts of the train that touch the track,
0:22:03 > 0:22:06'they are the most likely elements to cause an accident.'
0:22:07 > 0:22:10Wow. So this is... Oh, my God, this is where all the wheels
0:22:10 > 0:22:12- are sorted out.- Yeah. - Wow, it's huge!
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Each wheel is removed from the bogie
0:22:24 > 0:22:29before being spun on a lathe to make sure it's perfectly round.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34But one of the most crucial jobs is carried out by hand.
0:22:38 > 0:22:41Ah, so, what have we got here, Amit?
0:22:41 > 0:22:43This guy's inspecting the bearing.
0:22:43 > 0:22:47- Right.- Yeah.- So, can you tell me, what is a bearing, basically?
0:22:47 > 0:22:49I mean, that is a bearing, but what is it? What's its job?
0:22:49 > 0:22:52The bearing is a very important part of the wheel assembly.
0:22:52 > 0:22:53It helps the wheel to rotate.
0:22:53 > 0:22:57And all these small wheels do is allow it to spin round
0:22:57 > 0:22:59- with less friction and less...? - Yeah.
0:22:59 > 0:23:01This part rotates, along with the wheel.
0:23:01 > 0:23:04These guys, whoever is inspecting the bearing here,
0:23:04 > 0:23:06they are inspecting very thoroughly.
0:23:06 > 0:23:08- Checking all the rollers.- Right. - One by one, one by one.
0:23:08 > 0:23:10There shouldn't be any crack here.
0:23:10 > 0:23:12What do you do if there is a very small crack in some part?
0:23:12 > 0:23:15Even if the small crack is there, the bearing is rejected.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18So the whole thing goes. You don't use it any more?
0:23:18 > 0:23:19Yeah, we don't take even a 1% chance.
0:23:19 > 0:23:22Right. So what's the condition of this particular bearing, Amit?
0:23:22 > 0:23:24Is this one all right?
0:23:24 > 0:23:27Er, let me see. I think here's a scratching...
0:23:27 > 0:23:30- Yeah, no, no. This particular roller has gone.- Ah, no!
0:23:30 > 0:23:32The roller flaking is there, yeah.
0:23:32 > 0:23:34So there's a tiny crack in that, which you can barely see,
0:23:34 > 0:23:36- it's not a big crack.- Yep.
0:23:36 > 0:23:39So what would happen if you didn't replace this? What could go wrong?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42- It can lead to bearing failure, out of heat generation.- Right.
0:23:42 > 0:23:43So it still keeps spinning,
0:23:43 > 0:23:46- because the train is...? - It keeps on rotating.- Yeah.
0:23:46 > 0:23:48It keeps on rotating, it generates high temperature
0:23:48 > 0:23:51- and it can cause fire, also.- Right. - And a fire in a moving train...
0:23:51 > 0:23:52..is not a good thing.
0:23:52 > 0:23:56That's why this bearing inspection is a very, very important task.
0:23:58 > 0:24:00CLATTERING
0:24:00 > 0:24:04'After the wheels, it's the bodywork that needs attention
0:24:04 > 0:24:06'and the method here...
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'is surprisingly low-tech.'
0:24:09 > 0:24:11- I'm going to have a go. - TAPPING
0:24:11 > 0:24:14- Sounds good, yeah. - TAPPING
0:24:14 > 0:24:17It might sound like they're just making music on a train carriage,
0:24:17 > 0:24:19but what they're actually doing is they're listening
0:24:19 > 0:24:22- to the sound the tap makes. - TAPPING
0:24:22 > 0:24:24That sounds very, very solid.
0:24:24 > 0:24:27So they can tell if it's got corrosion, if it's got holes.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30They're checking for rust holes and damage like that,
0:24:30 > 0:24:31then they mark it with a bit of chalk
0:24:31 > 0:24:35so that the repair team come in and mend it, basically.
0:24:35 > 0:24:37HISSING
0:24:37 > 0:24:38ROBERT LAUGHS
0:24:38 > 0:24:41Right, that's a very good example.
0:24:41 > 0:24:43- That's not good.- No.- Not good? - Not good.- Yeah.
0:24:43 > 0:24:46So here there's some actual corrosion.
0:24:46 > 0:24:48And they've found it, they've marked it off with chalk,
0:24:48 > 0:24:51so this has got to be repaired, this is a problem.
0:24:51 > 0:24:54So that has definitely got some, erm...
0:24:54 > 0:24:56- HE LAUGHS - It's not very...
0:24:56 > 0:24:59- Yeah. Oh, that's all right there. - Yeah.- It's here.
0:24:59 > 0:25:00- It's bad.- Yeah, very bad.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Heavily corroded areas, like this one,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07have new steel plates welded into place
0:25:07 > 0:25:09to extend the life of the carriage.
0:25:11 > 0:25:15And the reconditioned bogies are locked back into place.
0:25:15 > 0:25:17LOCKS CLANG
0:25:17 > 0:25:19Structural integrity sorted,
0:25:19 > 0:25:23it's time to move on to some cosmetic improvements.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28The interiors of the carriages are inspected for wear and tear.
0:25:28 > 0:25:31Any seats that are worn or torn get reupholstered.
0:25:31 > 0:25:33There's quite a few seats here.
0:25:33 > 0:25:37The team here can re-cover 400 seats a day.
0:25:37 > 0:25:40First they strip them and re-pad them...
0:25:42 > 0:25:45..before newly sewn covers are glued on.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48I don't want to mess this up, that's really nice.
0:25:48 > 0:25:51Believe it or not, I've used these machines before.
0:25:53 > 0:25:54'I used to be a shoemaker,
0:25:54 > 0:25:57'so I'm hoping the same principles apply here.'
0:25:57 > 0:25:59SEWING MACHINE WHIRS
0:26:02 > 0:26:04Oh, I've gone off!
0:26:05 > 0:26:07I thought I'd be better than this.
0:26:07 > 0:26:10Now round the corner is so hard. Oh, Lord!
0:26:10 > 0:26:11HE LAUGHS
0:26:15 > 0:26:18How do you do that?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20That's a little gap there? OK, that's a mistake.
0:26:20 > 0:26:23All right, I admit that. I admit that that's bad.
0:26:23 > 0:26:25OK, but this bit... Look, let me just show you this bit.
0:26:25 > 0:26:27That bit, there...
0:26:28 > 0:26:29..that's not too bad.
0:26:35 > 0:26:38'Once the new seats are in, the final step is a coat of paint.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43'It takes a total of five days to paint each carriage,
0:26:43 > 0:26:46'and everything is done by hand.'
0:26:46 > 0:26:48It is extraordinary that there's actual people
0:26:48 > 0:26:50painting the trains with brushes.
0:26:50 > 0:26:52I guess I assumed spray guns in the paint shop,
0:26:52 > 0:26:55but, no, it's done by brush.
0:26:55 > 0:26:57Even the fine stuff, that's amazing.
0:27:01 > 0:27:03As soon as the paint's dry,
0:27:03 > 0:27:05the carriage is ready to go back into service.
0:27:07 > 0:27:10The final step is a stencil to say its service is complete.
0:27:18 > 0:27:19That place looked fantastic.
0:27:19 > 0:27:21In fact, I was particularly jealous of you
0:27:21 > 0:27:24getting those mallets and whacking the side of those trains.
0:27:24 > 0:27:27It is always fun smashing stuff with a big hammer, I have to say, yeah.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28But it's also fun coming up here,
0:27:28 > 0:27:32great bird's-eye view of the whole of CST.
0:27:32 > 0:27:34- Absolutely. Well, it's vast.- It is.
0:27:34 > 0:27:37Well, it's over 70 acres in total, the total site.
0:27:37 > 0:27:39And just to give some idea of our location,
0:27:39 > 0:27:41that over there is the dome
0:27:41 > 0:27:43that's right at the front of the old station.
0:27:43 > 0:27:45And in front of that, right in front of us there,
0:27:45 > 0:27:47is the seven suburban platforms.
0:27:47 > 0:27:50And then, over there, so I guess you can see,
0:27:50 > 0:27:52- just beyond those blue trains there...- Yep.
0:27:52 > 0:27:54..those are the inter-city, long-distance platforms.
0:27:54 > 0:27:57- TRAIN HORN BLARES - They are for the trains that are
0:27:57 > 0:27:59going to go right the way across India.
0:27:59 > 0:28:01- And they are particularly long, those ones.- Yeah.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04One of those platforms is over half a kilometre long.
0:28:04 > 0:28:06And to give you a sense of the scale, compared to the UK,
0:28:06 > 0:28:09a train in the UK going from between, say, Manchester and London
0:28:09 > 0:28:12might be about 11 carriages.
0:28:12 > 0:28:16One of those trains could be up to 26 carriages in length.
0:28:16 > 0:28:18- So it's just...- It's incredible, isn't it?
0:28:18 > 0:28:20- It just dwarfs stuff in the UK, really.- Yeah.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23And as a passenger, of course, you don't see all of this.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25We are getting a real privileged view up here.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27As a passenger, you just come in and out of the station.
0:28:27 > 0:28:29But over there, there are maintenance yards,
0:28:29 > 0:28:32where all the locomotives are given a locomotive MOT.
0:28:32 > 0:28:34There's another load of sidings beyond that,
0:28:34 > 0:28:36with all the spare carriages in for those enormous, long trains.
0:28:36 > 0:28:39It's funny, we just glimpse that out the window of a train
0:28:39 > 0:28:40as you pass, but it's like an iceberg.
0:28:40 > 0:28:43- There's so much hidden under the surface.- Yep.
0:28:43 > 0:28:46So much required, in terms of support and logistics,
0:28:46 > 0:28:48- to keep this going.- Yeah. - TRAIN HORN BLARES
0:28:48 > 0:28:50Well, it's a complex system for one very good reason
0:28:50 > 0:28:54and that is for safety, to stop trains bashing into each other,
0:28:54 > 0:28:56which I think, on the whole, is a good idea.
0:28:56 > 0:28:58- Yeah, that is not a good thing, when they hit each other.- No.
0:28:58 > 0:29:02But, of course, it's... Over the years, it's those crashes
0:29:02 > 0:29:06and the response to them that's given us our modern safety systems.
0:29:06 > 0:29:08- Yep.- We've made incremental improvements,
0:29:08 > 0:29:11we've introduced new technology, and that's how, round the world,
0:29:11 > 0:29:14we've managed to get railways running pretty safely nowadays.
0:29:14 > 0:29:15But in some parts of India,
0:29:15 > 0:29:17what's fascinating, in some parts of rural India,
0:29:17 > 0:29:21those historic safety systems have been frozen in time,
0:29:21 > 0:29:25and John Sergeant's been exploring some of them to see them in action.
0:29:28 > 0:29:31Two trains on the same track,
0:29:31 > 0:29:33and there's only one possible outcome.
0:29:35 > 0:29:36Disaster.
0:29:38 > 0:29:42This stunt was staged in America in 1913.
0:29:42 > 0:29:44But in the early days of rail travel,
0:29:44 > 0:29:47serious accidents like this were all too common.
0:29:49 > 0:29:52This one in Northern India killed 20 people.
0:29:53 > 0:29:58At many country stations, local trains use a single track
0:29:58 > 0:30:02and more than 100 years ago, a British engineer based in India,
0:30:02 > 0:30:06a Mr Neale, perfected a system to make sure
0:30:06 > 0:30:10that only one train was on the track at any given moment.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15Amazingly, the old system is still being used at this station.
0:30:18 > 0:30:22I'm in Palasdari, 70 kilometres east of Mumbai.
0:30:22 > 0:30:26This quiet, rural line runs to the village of Koppole
0:30:26 > 0:30:30and to ensure there's only ever one train on the line, they have
0:30:30 > 0:30:33what's called a token system. MACHINE RINGS
0:30:33 > 0:30:36It relies on the transfer of a tiny silver ball.
0:30:36 > 0:30:37THEY TALK
0:30:38 > 0:30:40Ah, we've got it! THEY LAUGH
0:30:40 > 0:30:44- Right, so the ball has now come through, right?- Uh-huh.
0:30:44 > 0:30:45JOHN LAUGHS
0:30:45 > 0:30:49'This silver ball is a permit to travel on the line.
0:30:49 > 0:30:51'Any driver coming through this station
0:30:51 > 0:30:55'needs to have it in his possession before leaving.'
0:30:55 > 0:30:58Right, we have the ball. Now we take the ball to the driver.
0:30:58 > 0:31:00- Yeah.- Right, we've got the ball.
0:31:00 > 0:31:04'Normally, the station master would do this, but I'm having a go.'
0:31:04 > 0:31:07We have to... We have to put the ball...
0:31:07 > 0:31:10We have to put the ball in the bag, OK?
0:31:10 > 0:31:12Right.
0:31:12 > 0:31:14Shall I give it to the driver?
0:31:14 > 0:31:16Thank you. Safe journey.
0:31:18 > 0:31:22With the ball safely on board, the driver is allowed to set off.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25The machine only issues one ball at a time
0:31:25 > 0:31:27and then locks shut.
0:31:27 > 0:31:31It also sends a signal to its partner machine at Koppole Station...
0:31:31 > 0:31:34MACHINE RINGS ..telling it that the line is busy.
0:31:34 > 0:31:35MACHINE RINGS
0:31:38 > 0:31:42No more balls can now be removed from either machine,
0:31:42 > 0:31:46which means that no further trains can enter the track.
0:31:46 > 0:31:49It's a guarantee of safety for everyone on board.
0:31:51 > 0:31:53Now, I know that this train... HORN BLARES
0:31:53 > 0:31:57..I know that this train will not collide with another train
0:31:57 > 0:31:59going in the opposite direction,
0:31:59 > 0:32:02because the driver has that metal ball.
0:32:04 > 0:32:07This particular system was invented by Mr Neale
0:32:07 > 0:32:10and is still called Neale's Token System.
0:32:12 > 0:32:16At one time, it was being used on more than 10,000 kilometres
0:32:16 > 0:32:18of the Indian rail network.
0:32:19 > 0:32:22This is one of the very last lines to use it,
0:32:22 > 0:32:25carrying thousands of passengers each day.
0:32:27 > 0:32:30Now I've reached Koppole Station,
0:32:30 > 0:32:32I need to get the ball back into the system,
0:32:32 > 0:32:35so that the next train is allowed to travel.
0:32:35 > 0:32:37Right, so we've got the pouch.
0:32:37 > 0:32:39Yeah?
0:32:39 > 0:32:40CROWD CHATTERS OK. Off we go.
0:32:47 > 0:32:51- Hello.- Hi.- Right, well, we've brought the ball.
0:32:51 > 0:32:53- I'm going to put it in the machine. - Yes.
0:32:53 > 0:32:56Put it under the top.
0:32:56 > 0:32:57- Under there, OK.- Yeah.
0:33:00 > 0:33:02MACHINE RINGS 'With the ball back in the machine,
0:33:02 > 0:33:03'the system unlocks.
0:33:03 > 0:33:06'The line is clear and ready for the next train.'
0:33:07 > 0:33:08Done.
0:33:08 > 0:33:11Token systems like this were only ever suitable
0:33:11 > 0:33:14for sections of single track. HORN BLARES
0:33:14 > 0:33:16They were installed in the early
0:33:16 > 0:33:18and less complicated days of rail travel.
0:33:20 > 0:33:23When there were many more trains on different lines
0:33:23 > 0:33:25and being moved into sidings,
0:33:25 > 0:33:28they needed a more sophisticated system
0:33:28 > 0:33:32to make sure that the trains ended up in the right place.
0:33:32 > 0:33:33TRACKS CLICK
0:33:35 > 0:33:38The answer was to lock together points,
0:33:38 > 0:33:40which set the route a train takes
0:33:40 > 0:33:44with the signals, which tell the driver it's safe to proceed.
0:33:44 > 0:33:46WHIRRING AND CLICKING
0:33:48 > 0:33:53Here at Lonavla Freight Yard, 80 kilometres from Mumbai,
0:33:53 > 0:33:56they're still using a system that, in the 1860s,
0:33:56 > 0:33:59was at the cutting edge of railway technology.
0:34:00 > 0:34:04The chief yardmaster, Mr Deshpande, shows me how it works.
0:34:06 > 0:34:08- Hello, how are you?- I am fine, thank you.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10- Now, this just looks terrific.- Mm-hm.
0:34:10 > 0:34:12- And this is all mechanical?- Yes.
0:34:14 > 0:34:21'This lever bed controls 48 different points and signals across the yard.'
0:34:21 > 0:34:24So when the lever is pulled there,
0:34:24 > 0:34:26these rods will then move here, is that right?
0:34:26 > 0:34:28- Yes.- And that will change the points?- Yes, yes.
0:34:28 > 0:34:31- So ask him to pull the lever, let's just see what happens.- OK.
0:34:31 > 0:34:32HE TRANSLATES
0:34:32 > 0:34:34PHONE RINGS IN BACKGROUND
0:34:34 > 0:34:36- CLICKING - Mm-hm.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38CLICKING
0:34:38 > 0:34:40OK?
0:34:40 > 0:34:43'Pulling this lever moves a series of metal rods,
0:34:43 > 0:34:47'stretching over 100 metres, to change the points.
0:34:47 > 0:34:49'Each lever has a number.
0:34:49 > 0:34:53'There are set routes, and the team here know the numbers
0:34:53 > 0:34:54'that correspond to each of them.'
0:34:56 > 0:34:59So what have we got to do? A freight train is going to come out?
0:35:02 > 0:35:04HORN BLARES IN BACKGROUND
0:35:05 > 0:35:06So what are we doing...?
0:35:06 > 0:35:08'I'm setting the route for a freight train
0:35:08 > 0:35:10'to join the main line to Mumbai.'
0:35:10 > 0:35:13- Pull that one here? OK. - With both hands, both hands.
0:35:13 > 0:35:17- Both hands, all right.- Uh-huh. - It's heavy, isn't it?- Mmm.
0:35:17 > 0:35:18Right.
0:35:19 > 0:35:22- Ah, yes.- Yes?- Yes, it is correctly set now.
0:35:22 > 0:35:24OK, what else do we need to pull?
0:35:24 > 0:35:25So pull that, right? Pull that first.
0:35:25 > 0:35:28- Whoops!- Mind your fingers here. - OK.
0:35:28 > 0:35:32'The points are set, but to tell the driver he can proceed,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34'now I need to set the signals.'
0:35:34 > 0:35:37- Now, what about the signal, right? - Yes.- OK, where's that?
0:35:37 > 0:35:38HE MUTTERS
0:35:38 > 0:35:41- Signal.- 39.- 39? OK, right.
0:35:41 > 0:35:45- Yeah. Oh, well, that's much easier, isn't it?- Lights one is easier.
0:35:45 > 0:35:48'Pulling this lever operates an electrical switch
0:35:48 > 0:35:50'that changes the signal lights.'
0:35:52 > 0:35:54Second signal, let's push 27.
0:35:54 > 0:35:5727, right. OK.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00CLICKING AND CREAKING
0:36:00 > 0:36:04- If anybody tried to wind back... - Yes?
0:36:04 > 0:36:07..after lowering the signal to the train, it will not go. You just try.
0:36:07 > 0:36:11- OK. I can't, because it's locked. - Ah, yes.
0:36:11 > 0:36:13Yes, that is called interlocking.
0:36:13 > 0:36:16- Interlocking?- Yes. It is... - And that is for safety?- Yes.
0:36:16 > 0:36:21'Interlocking describes the way the levers are mechanically connected.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25'It's physically impossible to pull the wrong lever.'
0:36:25 > 0:36:26HORN BLARES
0:36:26 > 0:36:30'Two trains cannot be sent onto the same section of line.
0:36:32 > 0:36:37'Over the years, thousands of lives have been saved as a result.'
0:36:46 > 0:36:49- So, in the yards, the trains aren't moving very fast...- Yes, there is...
0:36:49 > 0:36:51- ..and there aren't many of them. - Mm-hm.
0:36:51 > 0:36:54- So you can still use the trusty old system?- Oh, yes, yes.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57It is very... Actually, it is very safe.
0:36:57 > 0:36:58Yes. No, I can see it's very safe.
0:37:00 > 0:37:05'Watching these systems in operation is like stepping back in time.
0:37:05 > 0:37:09'But, surprisingly, the principles behind this old technology
0:37:09 > 0:37:12'are still just as relevant today in modern stations.'
0:37:14 > 0:37:16HORNS BEEP
0:37:16 > 0:37:20At CST in Mumbai, you won't find any lever rooms.
0:37:20 > 0:37:24They've been replaced by automated electrical switches.
0:37:24 > 0:37:27But these do the same jobs as the levers in Lonavla,
0:37:27 > 0:37:30guaranteeing a clear route for each train through the station.
0:37:30 > 0:37:32TANNOY ANNOUNCEMENT
0:37:32 > 0:37:34It's just before 3pm.
0:37:35 > 0:37:37Although the pressure's temporarily off,
0:37:37 > 0:37:39the smooth running of this place
0:37:39 > 0:37:42relies on thousands of well-rehearsed routines.
0:37:43 > 0:37:46One staff swap-over has been designed to make sure
0:37:46 > 0:37:50that trains can get in and out in under four minutes.
0:37:50 > 0:37:53Robert and I are seeing how it works.
0:37:53 > 0:37:56So we're making our final approach now into Mumbai CST.
0:37:56 > 0:37:59Driver Sajit here is at the controls.
0:37:59 > 0:38:03Now, I wanted to show you the really time-dependent activity
0:38:03 > 0:38:06that goes on here. This is really important to get these trains
0:38:06 > 0:38:07in and out as quickly as possible.
0:38:07 > 0:38:11This is one of the standard electric trains on the suburban line,
0:38:11 > 0:38:14and there is obviously a driver's cab at the front, as you'd expect,
0:38:14 > 0:38:17And there's a guard's van at the back, if you want to call it that.
0:38:17 > 0:38:19But because the trains can't turn round,
0:38:19 > 0:38:21cos this is a dead-end station, all they do is swap over.
0:38:21 > 0:38:24The guard comes in here, and the driver goes up to the other end,
0:38:24 > 0:38:26so we're nearly coming to a stop.
0:38:26 > 0:38:28I don't know how he does that, that is brilliant.
0:38:28 > 0:38:30That's really hard to do that, beautifully done.
0:38:30 > 0:38:31Well done, excellent.
0:38:31 > 0:38:35So that's it. Dan is up the other end of the platform.
0:38:37 > 0:38:39Yes, here I am, at what was the back of the train,
0:38:39 > 0:38:41the guard's just getting out now.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44And I'm just waiting for the driver who is...
0:38:44 > 0:38:45coming up the platform now.
0:38:45 > 0:38:49So now all that happens... The train's stopped.
0:38:49 > 0:38:51Everything's turned off.
0:38:51 > 0:38:54Takes the keys out of the ignition, just like in your car,
0:38:54 > 0:38:57and no-one can nick it, he's got the keys, they can't run off with it.
0:38:57 > 0:38:59Hello, sir. Good to see you.
0:38:59 > 0:39:02The guard's jumped out, this is the new driver arriving now,
0:39:02 > 0:39:04he's going to get in, he's going to do some checks,
0:39:04 > 0:39:06get his logbook out, turn a couple of switches,
0:39:06 > 0:39:08change the destination on the front of the train,
0:39:08 > 0:39:12make sure the headlights are working, and then he's good to go.
0:39:12 > 0:39:16Just wait for that signal, till it goes yellow, and he's good to go.
0:39:16 > 0:39:17The guard has just arrived now,
0:39:17 > 0:39:21so the guard is now going to go through his basic safety checks,
0:39:21 > 0:39:23just checking everything.
0:39:23 > 0:39:26He's getting everything nice for himself. There we go.
0:39:26 > 0:39:27Yep, basic safety checks.
0:39:27 > 0:39:30So what he will do, at some point, is communicate with the driver
0:39:30 > 0:39:32and he will stay in communication with the driver
0:39:32 > 0:39:34for the whole journey.
0:39:34 > 0:39:37It's all part of the whole safety procedure of the train.
0:39:39 > 0:39:40WHISTLE BLOWS
0:39:40 > 0:39:41HORN BLARES
0:39:44 > 0:39:45And they're off.
0:39:51 > 0:39:55So nothing too technologically advanced about that process.
0:39:55 > 0:39:58Just well-trained people being in the right place at the right time,
0:39:58 > 0:40:00doing the right thing. And off they go.
0:40:00 > 0:40:02Not too busy, it's the middle of the day.
0:40:02 > 0:40:04As we saw earlier, these trains during rush hour
0:40:04 > 0:40:06can get incredibly busy.
0:40:06 > 0:40:09But that's not a problem that's unique to Mumbai railways.
0:40:09 > 0:40:12The road system, too, here is very overstretched.
0:40:15 > 0:40:18Mumbai's traffic problems are notorious.
0:40:18 > 0:40:23There are more than 700,000 cars on the roads.
0:40:24 > 0:40:28Add into that more than two million public buses, rickshaws
0:40:28 > 0:40:31and motorbikes, and you've got a transport nightmare.
0:40:38 > 0:40:41To see quite how bad things are on the roads,
0:40:41 > 0:40:44I'm making a 16km journey
0:40:44 > 0:40:48from the suburb of Kurla to CST.
0:40:48 > 0:40:51OK, I'm crossing the road. Hello, right, I'm on.
0:40:51 > 0:40:53I'm on it, we're doing it, we're doing it.
0:40:53 > 0:40:56Oh, my... OK, stop. We're in.
0:40:59 > 0:41:01Hello. Pleased to meet you...
0:41:01 > 0:41:06'Taxi driver Surinder Singh is one of around 40,000 cabbies in Mumbai.'
0:41:06 > 0:41:08Off we go.
0:41:09 > 0:41:11Seatbelt on?
0:41:11 > 0:41:15- No.- No? I'm going to put it on anyway.
0:41:17 > 0:41:20How long do you think it's going to take us?
0:41:20 > 0:41:22In this peak hour, it takes sometimes one hour,
0:41:22 > 0:41:24sometimes it takes two hours or so.
0:41:24 > 0:41:27And during monsoon it's very bad, two hours here...
0:41:27 > 0:41:28So could be one hour, could be two hours.
0:41:28 > 0:41:32- In monsoon, how long...?- In monsoon, it can take three hours, four hours,
0:41:32 > 0:41:34- because Bombay gets flooded. - Three or four hours?
0:41:34 > 0:41:36Oh, yeah, you have to wait patiently.
0:41:39 > 0:41:43This journey would take 20 minutes on the train, which is
0:41:43 > 0:41:47why more than half of Mumbai's commuters travel by rail.
0:41:48 > 0:41:51'This gridlocked traffic is the result of just 8%
0:41:51 > 0:41:55'of them taking to the roads, which aren't in great nick.'
0:41:55 > 0:41:59- Is this a new road?- Yeah, this is a new road. See this condition?
0:41:59 > 0:42:01This is the worst new road I've...
0:42:01 > 0:42:03- See, this is a new road. - Sack the road builders.
0:42:03 > 0:42:06- Yeah, see these are the conditions of the roads.- This is not even flat.
0:42:06 > 0:42:08Yeah, they've not levelled it properly.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11Look, not levelled it? I mean, really, that...
0:42:11 > 0:42:13My mum could have done a better job.
0:42:16 > 0:42:22The government has spent £149 million over the last eight years
0:42:22 > 0:42:26trying to improve the roads to cope with the increase in traffic.
0:42:26 > 0:42:28But Surinder's not impressed.
0:42:41 > 0:42:45- Feels like someone needs to plan it. - Yeah, plan it properly.
0:42:45 > 0:42:48What would you do? If you were the King of Bombay?
0:42:48 > 0:42:52If I had been... There's no roads where the... I would have widened
0:42:52 > 0:42:56the roads first... and build new bridges, new flyovers.
0:42:56 > 0:43:00- But they're doing those things, aren't they, slowly?- Very, very slow.
0:43:00 > 0:43:01It's very slow, very slow.
0:43:01 > 0:43:03- Not fast enough for a cab driver? - No, no.
0:43:05 > 0:43:09'There are also huge problems with road safety.
0:43:09 > 0:43:14'In 2013, there were 23,500 road accidents in Greater Mumbai
0:43:14 > 0:43:16'and nearly 500 deaths.
0:43:17 > 0:43:20'That's almost four times as many as in London.'
0:43:20 > 0:43:24- So, where are we now?- This is called Dadar.- Dadar. And is this halfway?
0:43:24 > 0:43:26It's halfway.
0:43:26 > 0:43:28'We've been going over half an hour.
0:43:28 > 0:43:31'Our average speed is about ten kilometres per hour,
0:43:31 > 0:43:34'which compares badly even to central London,
0:43:34 > 0:43:36'where it's closer to 15.
0:43:36 > 0:43:38'But travelling by road is giving me
0:43:38 > 0:43:42'a brilliant view of the evolving landscape of Mumbai.'
0:43:42 > 0:43:46- So, this used to be the textile area. Lots of mills.- Yeah, lots of mills.
0:43:46 > 0:43:49- Run by the British.- And now those mills have disappeared, have they?
0:43:49 > 0:43:52Yeah, they've disappeared. Only you can find the chimneys there.
0:43:52 > 0:43:56'Dadar used to be an industrial area packed with cotton mills,
0:43:56 > 0:43:59'but today, like so much of Mumbai,
0:43:59 > 0:44:03'it's being redeveloped to create offices and homes for the rich.'
0:44:04 > 0:44:08- A multistorey apartment is coming now.- Oh, look at that!
0:44:08 > 0:44:10How much would it cost to live here?
0:44:10 > 0:44:13If I wanted to buy a two-bedroom flat in this developed
0:44:13 > 0:44:15suburb in one of these nice apartments -
0:44:15 > 0:44:18that looks pretty swish to me, that big high-rise...
0:44:18 > 0:44:19More than five gross.
0:44:19 > 0:44:24- £500,000?- Yes, £500,000, yeah.- Half a million pounds?!- Million pounds.
0:44:24 > 0:44:26Who can afford that here?
0:44:26 > 0:44:28Businesspeople are buying, politicians are buying.
0:44:28 > 0:44:30Politicians, businesspeople...
0:44:30 > 0:44:32Some investors are there.
0:44:32 > 0:44:36And how do you feel about these amazing flats that you can't afford?
0:44:36 > 0:44:39Actually, we can't think about that, because we cannot afford one.
0:44:39 > 0:44:40We can't think about that money.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42We're not going to make that much money in our life.
0:44:42 > 0:44:44It's not possible for us.
0:44:44 > 0:44:48'The average wage in Mumbai is just over £1,000 a year,
0:44:48 > 0:44:52'but it's also home to 30 billionaires.'
0:44:52 > 0:44:55- If you've got money in Bombay, you've got mega money.- Mega money.
0:44:55 > 0:44:59- Some people have mega money.- They're minted money.- They're minted!
0:44:59 > 0:45:01Yeah, they're minted money.
0:45:01 > 0:45:03Bombay is changing under our noses.
0:45:03 > 0:45:05And there we go, a Range Rover.
0:45:05 > 0:45:09And to buy a Range Rover or a BMW - in fact, any imported car -
0:45:09 > 0:45:13is not the same as in the UK, because here the import duty is
0:45:13 > 0:45:17so high that it would cost you, basically, double what it costs us.
0:45:17 > 0:45:22'We're now just over eight kilometres from our starting point, Kurla.'
0:45:22 > 0:45:27- We have been in the car for over an hour.- One hour.
0:45:27 > 0:45:30- So, how long is it going to take us? - One day, I did half an hour...
0:45:30 > 0:45:33Give me the bad news. Don't worry, you don't have to sugar-coat it.
0:45:33 > 0:45:37I'm in this now. Tell me, really, how long do you think it could take?
0:45:37 > 0:45:41It will take at least 30 minutes to 40 minutes towards the CST.
0:45:41 > 0:45:45Sometimes it can take more, also - 40, 45 minutes.
0:45:45 > 0:45:47It's just at this time we can't say anything about the traffic.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51- 30 or 40 or 50! Indian time. - Indian time.
0:45:51 > 0:45:55SHE LAUGHS Indian time is fluid.
0:45:55 > 0:45:56'Travelling by road here is
0:45:56 > 0:46:00'just as frustrating as in any other megacity,
0:46:00 > 0:46:03'but with another 2,000 new vehicles registered each week,
0:46:03 > 0:46:06'it's only going to get worse here in Mumbai.'
0:46:07 > 0:46:11- Here we are. This is CST now. - That's quite some journey!- Yes.
0:46:11 > 0:46:13I recognise this beautiful building.
0:46:13 > 0:46:16OK, sir, if you could stop the meter...
0:46:16 > 0:46:21- Yes.- 269 rupees, which is £2.69.
0:46:21 > 0:46:25It took us an hour and 35 minutes, but we made it!
0:46:25 > 0:46:27- Yes, made it.- Thank you!
0:46:28 > 0:46:30Bye-bye.
0:46:32 > 0:46:36So, that journey then cost £2.69 in the taxi, but the same journey
0:46:36 > 0:46:39would have cost 10p on the train, so it feels like a bit of a no-brainer.
0:46:39 > 0:46:42- I'd get the train.- You'd think, but there are a lot of people in this
0:46:42 > 0:46:45city of 17 million who have a lot of money.
0:46:45 > 0:46:48And that's the middle classes. And this middle class is growing
0:46:48 > 0:46:49all over India, and they can quite easily
0:46:49 > 0:46:53afford to use a taxi, and they do, because it's just more comfortable.
0:46:53 > 0:46:54'And let me tell you,
0:46:54 > 0:46:58'comfort is in short supply here on rush hour trains.
0:46:58 > 0:47:00'This is me tussling to get on board one morning.'
0:47:00 > 0:47:03It's a fight! What is happening?!
0:47:03 > 0:47:05SHE SHRIEKS
0:47:05 > 0:47:07I'm on! We made it!
0:47:07 > 0:47:09'It was the same story for me.'
0:47:11 > 0:47:14- HE LAUGHS - Ow! Ow!
0:47:16 > 0:47:19I think the one thing I'm not worried about is falling over.
0:47:19 > 0:47:22'So I'm keen to see what a carriage looks like without quite
0:47:22 > 0:47:24'so many people on board.'
0:47:24 > 0:47:27- I didn't even realise there were seats until just now.- Let's hop on.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29- This is a men's only carriage.- Right.
0:47:29 > 0:47:31Women are allowed on, they just choose not to travel.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34So you generally wouldn't go on this. But you're on!
0:47:34 > 0:47:37- Lots of places to hold on.- Hundreds of places to hold on.- You'd need to.
0:47:37 > 0:47:40And the fans, I have to say, saved me when I was squashed in here.
0:47:40 > 0:47:44Actually standing by the door, or, if you sit... Let's have a seat.
0:47:44 > 0:47:48- OK.- The best seat in the house is that one right there.- Oh,
0:47:48 > 0:47:49so right next to the window, or there.
0:47:49 > 0:47:52- Yes, where this gentleman here is. - He's got the right seat.
0:47:52 > 0:47:55You've got the right seat, sir, right by the window, nice and comfortable.
0:47:55 > 0:47:58When I took a train once, I was sitting there
0:47:58 > 0:48:01and a woman was eyeballing me to say, "When you get off, I'm getting on,"
0:48:01 > 0:48:03because that's the tactics they use to bag a seat.
0:48:03 > 0:48:06So she wasn't trying to get your seat, it was just for when you left.
0:48:06 > 0:48:08That was the thing when I was squashed.
0:48:08 > 0:48:11I was sort of standing about there, absolutely squashed in.
0:48:11 > 0:48:13The atmosphere round me was friendly.
0:48:13 > 0:48:16Everyone was grinning and saying hello and waving. It was nice,
0:48:16 > 0:48:18even though you were scrunched together.
0:48:18 > 0:48:20And I just thought if that same situation happened
0:48:20 > 0:48:21on a commuter train in England,
0:48:21 > 0:48:24there'd be a lot of passive-aggressive tutting,
0:48:24 > 0:48:27people would be shaking their copies of the Telegraph.
0:48:27 > 0:48:29"Grr, move down the carriage!" You know?
0:48:29 > 0:48:30Here, it seemed incredibly friendly.
0:48:30 > 0:48:34Well, things CAN get extreme, and they did in January 2015.
0:48:34 > 0:48:36It was the first day back to work,
0:48:36 > 0:48:40and you could say there was a major problem in the control room.
0:48:40 > 0:48:43They had an electrical issue and there were severe delays,
0:48:43 > 0:48:46which meant that the trains came to a standstill.
0:48:48 > 0:48:50- NEWS REPORT:- Shortly after 7am Friday morning.
0:48:51 > 0:48:56Train services from CST to Diva in suburban Mumbai were stalled
0:48:56 > 0:48:57due to a technical snag,
0:48:57 > 0:49:01leaving office goers stranded for more than five hours.
0:49:01 > 0:49:03ANGRY SHOUTING
0:49:04 > 0:49:08Now, 16,000 people rioted in the suburb of Diva.
0:49:08 > 0:49:12They took out to the streets, they blocked the tracks,
0:49:12 > 0:49:16they injured a driver and they damaged ten trains.
0:49:16 > 0:49:18So it shows you, when things go wrong here,
0:49:18 > 0:49:21Indians can get very angry indeed.
0:49:21 > 0:49:22Those riots were very unusual,
0:49:22 > 0:49:25but perhaps because of that, they certainly were big news
0:49:25 > 0:49:28around here, and many people took them to be symptomatic
0:49:28 > 0:49:32of a more general frustration with how the railways sometimes worked.
0:49:32 > 0:49:34Now, the man who until recently was in charge of dealing with that
0:49:34 > 0:49:38frustration is the former divisional railway manager.
0:49:38 > 0:49:40Mr Nigam, thanks for joining us.
0:49:40 > 0:49:43You used to be in charge of this place, till early 2015.
0:49:43 > 0:49:48What was it like putting up with occasionally quite angry commuters?
0:49:48 > 0:49:53If you have to run 2,000 trains every day and you carry more than
0:49:53 > 0:49:56four million passengers every day, it's a tough ask.
0:49:58 > 0:50:00Mumbaikars, our commuters,
0:50:00 > 0:50:03are very emotionally attached to suburban trains.
0:50:03 > 0:50:06I mean, they relate to its performance
0:50:06 > 0:50:09and its activities in a very emotional manner.
0:50:09 > 0:50:12So there are chances of emotional outbursts.
0:50:12 > 0:50:15If I were you, I'd get really annoyed, because most of the time
0:50:15 > 0:50:17the train works well and commuters get to work,
0:50:17 > 0:50:19and then, when it doesn't, they all blame you.
0:50:19 > 0:50:21They never thank you when times are good, do they?
0:50:21 > 0:50:24No, I mean, whoever is in the service sector, it is
0:50:24 > 0:50:29the customer who's the king, and whatever he says, you have to take
0:50:29 > 0:50:31it to a logical conclusion,
0:50:31 > 0:50:33and that's what we are there for, you know.
0:50:33 > 0:50:35When you were the boss here,
0:50:35 > 0:50:39what were the main complaints that would land on your desk?
0:50:39 > 0:50:43First of all is relating to the overcrowding.
0:50:43 > 0:50:45Overcrowding is a very serious issue, because especially
0:50:45 > 0:50:49at intermediate stations it's very difficult to get on the trains.
0:50:49 > 0:50:52You know, for that we need to run longer trains.
0:50:52 > 0:50:55There's also an issue of modernisation of the network.
0:50:55 > 0:50:57People would like more and more amenities.
0:50:57 > 0:51:00They would like to see escalators at stations,
0:51:00 > 0:51:03they would like to have better ticket vending machines,
0:51:03 > 0:51:05they would like to have better trains,
0:51:05 > 0:51:08they would like to have air conditioning in the trains.
0:51:08 > 0:51:11And the third issue is with regard to disruptions.
0:51:11 > 0:51:14They would...they would not tolerate any disruptions.
0:51:14 > 0:51:18I mean, I find that the Mumbaikar, an average Mumbaikar,
0:51:18 > 0:51:20he's never satisfied with the service that we offer,
0:51:20 > 0:51:22but when he goes and leaves the city
0:51:22 > 0:51:26and, you know, when he's gone to meet a relative in another city,
0:51:26 > 0:51:29- he would praise the system no end. - Yeah.
0:51:29 > 0:51:32It sounds like we commuters are the same everywhere in the world.
0:51:32 > 0:51:35You know, railway jobs...world over
0:51:35 > 0:51:36which are dealing with operations,
0:51:36 > 0:51:40you know, because railway operations are a 24-hour exercise,
0:51:40 > 0:51:42are, you know, very engaging jobs.
0:51:42 > 0:51:45It is said that, you know, you can't ride the tiger for too long.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48But, you know, when you are over here,
0:51:48 > 0:51:50you have to shoulder the responsibility
0:51:50 > 0:51:52because suburban network is the lifeline of the city.
0:51:52 > 0:51:54There are four billion passengers
0:51:54 > 0:51:56who look up to you for your performance.
0:51:56 > 0:51:58Thank you very much.
0:51:58 > 0:52:00Now, this place can feel, I'm sure you would agree with this,
0:52:00 > 0:52:02insatiable, unstoppable at times.
0:52:02 > 0:52:07But there are three hours every night when the trains fall silent.
0:52:07 > 0:52:09They're still. And we had a look around the station
0:52:09 > 0:52:12during those magical night-time hours.
0:52:16 > 0:52:18It's 10pm.
0:52:23 > 0:52:26And the station is winding down for the day.
0:52:33 > 0:52:35The suburban platforms are quiet.
0:52:37 > 0:52:40But in the control room, it's business as usual.
0:52:40 > 0:52:44There are still eight long-distance services to send on their way.
0:52:45 > 0:52:47UPBEAT MUSIC PLAYS
0:52:49 > 0:52:52The pressure is on for the platform staff.
0:52:54 > 0:52:56Come on, man. Come on. There you go.
0:52:56 > 0:53:00Porters hurry fresh fish and other local produce onto the trains
0:53:00 > 0:53:02just in time for their departure slots.
0:53:07 > 0:53:10Worth £6 million to the local economy,
0:53:10 > 0:53:12it's essential that these goods are on sale
0:53:12 > 0:53:15at markets across the country by morning.
0:53:18 > 0:53:23Once the last intercity service leaves the station at 11.45,
0:53:23 > 0:53:26the focus in the control room turns to the suburban platforms.
0:53:26 > 0:53:2877220.
0:53:33 > 0:53:35Midnight strikes.
0:53:35 > 0:53:39And the city's last travellers are heading for the last trains home.
0:53:42 > 0:53:44The final service leaves at 12.45.
0:53:47 > 0:53:51Last suburban local, are you ready to depart from the CST?
0:53:51 > 0:53:54There won't be another until 4am.
0:53:54 > 0:53:56SOOTHING MUSIC PLAYS
0:54:10 > 0:54:13But once the passenger trains have departed,
0:54:13 > 0:54:18the control room has just three hours to do the overnight housekeeping.
0:54:18 > 0:54:22This is their only window for fixing anything that's gone wrong today
0:54:22 > 0:54:24to ensure that tomorrow will run smoothly.
0:54:28 > 0:54:30Safety workers are given permission
0:54:30 > 0:54:33to move onto the empty tracks to do repairs.
0:54:34 > 0:54:37Other trains are repositioned and shunted into place.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53At 2.20, one rather unusual train is given permission to run.
0:54:55 > 0:54:57The Muck-Special is used to remove
0:54:57 > 0:55:0010,000 tonnes of building waste and household refuse
0:55:00 > 0:55:04that threatens to block the sewers by the railway tracks.
0:55:06 > 0:55:09Picked and packed during the day, the workers, called Muck-Pickers,
0:55:09 > 0:55:14return at night to load 3,000 bags of waste onto this train.
0:55:16 > 0:55:19This is back-breaking work
0:55:19 > 0:55:22for pay of £2.50 a day.
0:55:27 > 0:55:30If left to build up, this rubbish would block the drains,
0:55:30 > 0:55:34and when the monsoon rains arrive, this would mean instant flooding,
0:55:34 > 0:55:37cancelled trains and disaster on the lines.
0:55:46 > 0:55:49Overnight maintenance completed,
0:55:49 > 0:55:52the controllers gear up for the start of the morning shift.
0:55:57 > 0:56:00Trains are waiting, the tracks are clear
0:56:00 > 0:56:02and the drivers head to their services.
0:56:04 > 0:56:07The all clear is given for the 4am departure.
0:56:11 > 0:56:15And the first train of today's 1,500 services sets off.
0:56:19 > 0:56:23Another day in Mumbai on the world's busiest railway begins.
0:56:27 > 0:56:31This station is such an important part of downtown, noisy Mumbai.
0:56:31 > 0:56:34It has a crucial place in the heart of Mumbaikars.
0:56:34 > 0:56:36But it is like all these complex systems.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39The more you understand how all the parts work together,
0:56:39 > 0:56:40the more you begin to really appreciate it.
0:56:40 > 0:56:42And I think it's amazing
0:56:42 > 0:56:45that they get so many people on so many trains every day.
0:56:45 > 0:56:48If you're on a train that's stuck and not going anywhere,
0:56:48 > 0:56:49you'd probably end up being a bit moody.
0:56:49 > 0:56:52But I think that is the point. Because there are big problems here.
0:56:52 > 0:56:55The passengers feel like they're on edge.
0:56:55 > 0:56:57They are crushed to bits every morning and every evening.
0:56:57 > 0:57:01And they all know that even a small problem can lead to massive delays.
0:57:01 > 0:57:03It just feels like there isn't any wiggle room in the system,
0:57:03 > 0:57:04there's no contingency.
0:57:04 > 0:57:07It's like an intense relationship, filled with love and hate.
0:57:07 > 0:57:10They love it when it works, they hate it when it doesn't.
0:57:14 > 0:57:16Tonight, we've immersed you
0:57:16 > 0:57:19in the extraordinary daily life of this station.
0:57:20 > 0:57:22Next time, in our final visit,
0:57:22 > 0:57:26I see what the future holds for this megacity's rail network.
0:57:27 > 0:57:31Ah! Air conditioned, spacious.
0:57:31 > 0:57:33I don't get nutted every time I move.
0:57:35 > 0:57:38Forget leaves, try floods on the line.
0:57:38 > 0:57:42We find out how they keep trains running through the monsoon.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47And I meet one of the heroes of the 2008 terror attack.
0:57:56 > 0:58:00Anita goes out on the line with the teams keeping the network safe.
0:58:00 > 0:58:01KLAXON BLARES
0:58:01 > 0:58:03Oh, we're on the move now.
0:58:05 > 0:58:09For a minute, I forgot I was in the middle of two live railway lines.
0:58:09 > 0:58:14And we reflect on the affection Mumbaikars have for their railway.
0:58:14 > 0:58:18Bombay is whatever it is because of its beautiful railway lines.
0:58:18 > 0:58:21Railways are the lifeline of Mumbai.
0:58:21 > 0:58:23That's all still to come.
0:58:25 > 0:58:28Thanks for joining us here in Mumbai. See you next time.
0:58:28 > 0:58:29- Bye!- Bye-bye.- Bye-bye.