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Did you know that the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CST) of Mumbai is spread across 30,000 square metres, with seven platforms for suburban trains – and even more that connect it with the rest of India?
Or that it runs 1,500 services daily, with 88 trains coming in every hour, often just 40 seconds apart, during the morning rush hours?
We guarantee you’ve never seen the legendary Mumbai rails THIS way before! Discovery Channel’s new show – Mumbai Railway – comes armed with nuggets you’ve never known about the world’s busiest commuter rail network. The four-part series (by BBC Science Production) will show what keeps Mumbai’s lifeline running – through the experiences of its engine drivers, station staff, operations team, guards, porters, dabbawalas and many, many more kindred Bombaiyya souls.
Take a look at the trailer here:
Have You Seen Mumbai Through the Eyes of Foreign TV Presenters?
The first episode opens with veteran TV presenters Don Snow, Robert Llewellyn and Anita Rani giving a bit of historical trivia about this UNESCO World Heritage Site that was built by the British in 1887 and turned Mumbai into an economic powerhouse.
What follows are Slumdog Millionaire-esque shots of people living in cramped slums, scrawny kids running in the lanes and bustling marketplaces full of crowds – all of which have become something of a cliche in any film about Mumbai.
We are treated to a snapshot of what a pulsating morning at the CST is like where two-and-a-half billion journeys (!) take place every year.
Those who have never travelled by the Mumbai local might end up sharing the presenters’ incredulity as they watch hundreds of people disembark from a moving train while another tidal wave tries to get on – pretty much at the same time. Robert Llewellyn likens this process to a contact sport while Anita Rani looks visibly nervous at the thought of getting on to one such train.
Their incredulity continues as they watch people casually crossing the tracks, which, though illegal, has become a regular practice at the station. We are informed that nearly nine people are killed on Mumbai suburban tracks every day – a majority being run over.
It’s frankly quite amusing to watch the expressions of terror as the three of them try to board the trains with camera persons in tow – with none of them managing to make it in the first attempt!
Behind the Scenes of the World’s Busiest Rail Network
It’s 12 minutes into the first episode that we get to the real meat of the show – a rare glimpse of the train management system room. In this pristine room with crisp white walls, officials keep the network running like a well-oiled machine.
While technology plays a huge role here in manning the system – by showing the exact location of every train and how much distance it has covered – humans are just as critical to the process. At least eight people man this control room 24 hours a day to fix things that a computer can’t.
Have you ever wondered what happens when a train breaks down? The show clearly tells you how it is all taken care of by ONE person. This person reroutes, diverts and cancels trains while talking to the engineers about possible solutions – all in a split of a second.
It all looks nerve wracking, and the staff tell the Discovery presenters that it indeed is!
A Day in the Life of the Mumbai Dabbawala
We are also taken through the schedule of the dabbawalas, another piece of the heart that is Mumbai.
The dabbawalas have featured in many films before – and like every one of them, here too one is taken to a kitchen where the lady of the house is busy whipping up her husband’s favourite dishes and packing them into dabbas. These will then travel across the length of the city through the amazing relay system that the dabbawalas follow to finally reach the offices.
It’s funny but no matter how many times you’ve probably seen these scenes before, watching the dabbawalas at work never ceases to amaze.
Nearly 5,000 of them deliver 200,000 tiffins every day! Each carries 40 tiffins and a total weight of 60 to 65 kgs.
An Enchanting Bit of History
For history buffs like me, the last segment of the show holds a lot of interest as it shows the oldest part of the building that is off limits to everyone – except for invited guests and railway officials.
As the camera pans across, the breathtaking dome, the stained glass windows, the intricate sculpture work and the majestic gargoyles take one’s breath away.
For a minute, one forgets that this is an office building where 3,500 people work – and not some church in the heart of Europe.
(Mumbai Railway will premiere on December 7 and air every Monday at 9 PM on Discovery Channel.)
(Avantika Bhuyan is a freelance journalist who loves to uncover the invisible India hiding in nooks and crannies across the country.)
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