Train collapse in Mumbai!

This Wednesday was not my day at all!

I stayed in the office until 20h. Was finishing some stuff, so I get prepared for the morning (had lots of interviews whole day, and new joinee was coming, so formalities were also there). I came to the station, and my shock! Not a single needle can fall, how crowded it was!

Churchgate train station when everything stopped

Tried to find alternate transportation, but no luck. Cabs were to expensive (large distance), buses were also not so regular due heavy traffic, so I was stuck with train again. Trains slowly started to come, but if you have that big crowd waiting for a train, you are busted!

My solution was local train to Andheri. Managed to fight my way and get position just by the very edge of the platform, so I can jump in the train while moving. Train easily started to come, I prepared myself, and then the show started!

If you didn’t experienced Mumbai train, there is now way you can imagine this. Not even these pictures can imagine that feeling. I jumped in the train while moving, got few elbows in the face, and position myself right next to the exit for my station (knowing that it will be crowded, I needed nice exit strategy :-)).

People were fighting like crazy to get in. Somehow we got inside, and it was allready full till the end. Next station came, and then the party started! Where one Serb can fit, 10 Indians get in! Imagine being “glued” to the wall, but literaly glued, you cannot move your arms, legs, body, your face is stucked at the wall, someone is scratching his head on your elbow, the other guy i fighting not to fall of the train, crazy!

The worst is when station comes. Passangers are jumping while train is moving, cause if they wait to stop, crowd that wanna get in will puch them back. It was funny to see one guy who was trying to get off the way and the mass just blew him off, imagine you are having strong grip on the upper bar, while stampedo is pulling you out, and you hang out of the door!

Entrance to the train

Then I realized the expressions - “do your ironing in the train” and “canned like a beef” :-). I think these trains can easily get into tourist attractions of Mumbai!

I got home at 23h, alive