Mumbai: In a shocking incident, hundreds of passengers on board the Titwala-CSMT local air-conditioned train were stranded at Dadar railway station on Saturday morning. The train manager (train guard), Gopal Dhake, forgot to open the doors, leaving the commuters trapped in the train. According to sources, the train reached Dadar at 10:05 am and left at 10:06 am, halting for a minute.

However, the doors remained closed and passengers were unable to disembark. Panic set in when the train started moving again and passengers had to wait until the next station, Parel, to disembark. The Central Railway (CR) took swift action, suspending the train manager pending further investigation. “Gopal Dhake, the train manager, forgot to open the doors at Dadar station.

He has been suspended and we will take appropriate action to prevent such incidents in future,” a CR official said. Air-conditioned local trains on the Mumbai Suburban section are equipped with an automatic door closing system, which is operated by to the train manager The door control panel is connected to the train master’s cabin and the doors open and close only on the train master’s command.

Commuters expressed their frustration and disappointment over the incident, stressing the need for greater accountability and attention to detail among rail staff. “The railway administration needs to sensitize its train crew in a better way.” – Mahesh Tambe, 42, resident of Kalyan and frequent commuter in air-conditioned local trains of Central Railway.