Mumbai: From empty trains at Virar to terror attacks, the man who has seen it all

Arvind Bapat inside the driving cab of a train at Churchgate

Imagine a Western Railway (WR) local with just two to three commuters at Mira Road, fisherwomen getting onboard at Naigaon. This was a time when local trains used to have a leisurely schedule and motorman Arvind Vishnu Bapat saw it all change as Mumbai grew during his 43-year service tenure. He retires this weekend.

Bapat was born on February 18, 1961, in Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh. He is one of the few city motormen with zero incidents of train overshooting, signal passing, unsafe driving or delays.

Taking us through his kaleidoscopic memories, he says, "I joined the WR in 1978 aged 17 after my father, a senior divisional medical officer, passed away. When I took charge of trains in 1982, we used to have English electric trains from the Metropolitan Cammell Carriage and Wagon Company. Driving was a pleasure back then," he said.

"A motorman's life is trains. We do not get regular weekly offs, but rest days. We neither have a social life nor do we get to celebrate festivals much," he said.

"Life on the tracks today is much more hectic. With a Virar local every 5-10 minutes and a driving time of three hours, we have to be alert about two things - the signals that pass by at a fast pace and the stop mark at stations. This requires a high level of concentration," Bapat said.

Waterlogging woes
Bapat's memories of stations contrast what motormen get to see today. "Mira Road's eastern side used to be salt pan land. Most of the vegetable growers would board from there at 3.30 am. Naigaon was known for fisherwomen. Very few people stayed beyond Borivli," he said.

Arvind Bapat was born in Gwalior, MP

Recalling waterlogging over the years, Bapat said, "We used to have waterlogging at Grant Road, Parel and Matunga. I was once stuck at Bandra station for two hours."

Bapat also operated trains at a time when there were around 19 level crossing gates between Matunga and Dahisar. Now there are none. "Days with Bharat bandh or Maharashtra bandh were most difficult; we used to get protection. Eventually, the windshields of old trains were replaced with bullet-proof lookout glass. During one such bandh, a mob threw stones at my train at Vasai and its windshield broke. They dispersed after an RPF inspector fired in the air," Bapat said.

Harsh memories
"Trespassing and runovers are a harsh memory. During the textile strike of 1980s, many mill workers attempted suicide between Lower Parel and Dadar. Once, a person on the tracks near Kandivli didn't notice the train. I hooted hard and he quickly lay down flat. I hit the brakes hard and two coaches passed over him. But he survived without a scratch. In another incident, a woman with a child jumped to her death at Bhayandar. In the 1980s, a schoolboy in uniform committed suicide. These incidents are painful, but we are helpless. My guru, a senior Parsi motorman, Karsi Kapadia, taught me to be bold and not get drained emotionally," Bapat said.

Bomb blasts are another difficult memory. Recalling the 2006 serial train blasts, Bapat said, "I had spent a night at the car shed after my train got cancelled. Next morning, I was horrified to see the battered local trains which arrived at the car shed, covered in mud, blood, with slippers and sandals strewn everywhere." "It has been a rollercoaster ride, during which I grew with the city and trains, and it all ends this week," Bapat concluded.

Zero
The Impeccable Mr. Bapat finishes his 43-year career without a single violation for overshooting, signal passing, unsafe driving or late arrival

1978
Year Arvind Bapat joined the railways

17yrs
Bapat's age when he joined the railways