Ridership / Passenger Count

Mark Jordan · **Joined:** Fri Nov 07, 2008 11:21 am **Posts:** 490

Passenger Count is always an issue, but sometimes not in the way one would expect:

junior · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2013 10:10 pm

At least the engineer has a good excuse if he hits something while en route.... he couldn't see from the cab!

....wait....where is the cab?

robertmacdowell · **Posted:** Thu Feb 07, 2013 11:40 pm

Engineer isn't there, he's on the other end. Headlight.

See, this is what happens in a former British colony when you overbook Thomas the Tank Engine :)

RCD · **Posted:** Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:07 am

robertmacdowell wrote:

Engineer isn't there, he's on the other end. Headlight.

See, this is what happens in a former British colony when you overbook Thomas the Tank Engine :)

I think that train is heading tords us look at which way all the people are faceing. I doubt having a headlight on during daylight hors is high on the saftey conserns seeing as they let people ride the outside of the train.

junior · **Posted:** Sun Feb 10, 2013 12:30 am

...he couldn't find the headlight switch with all people crammed into the cab...

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

It's truly amazing that they run them like that. This isn't a one time thing either, you see variations of this photo a lot. Google "Overcrowded train India" for lots more. Some of the scarier ones include folks riding on the front footboards and coupler, as well as riding on the roof in electric territory.

As others have mentioned, he can't possibly see where he's going, and there are people everywhere!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lRyu1FzaHow

I wonder how many people are injured or killed in this manner?

Alexander D. Mitchell IV · **Posted:** Mon Feb 11, 2013 2:55 pm

We've discussed this "most epic" "movie scene from the Bollywood movie "Dil Se" here in the past; it never fails to draw an epic blend of amusement, amazement, and appreciation from anyone I show it to--musicians, actors/performers, railway men, cinematographers, you name it. All the more amazing because it was shot on film in 1998; today, with digital cameras and perhaps some consulting from hard-core railfans, the results could be even more dramatic:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_2gW3zwMMQ

I'm told from sources with more knowledge of the Indian/etc. rail scene that scenes like that in the OP typically involve pilgrimages to religious sites at specific times of the year, and are definitely not your "everyday" occurrence. I'm sure I can be proven wrong by someone with evidence that this is a daily occurrence on the daily Karachi commuter trains or whatnot....

Bobharbison · **Joined:** Fri Dec 03, 2004 9:42 pm **Posts:** 3010

It's also my understanding that the worst cases are the pilgrimages, especially once the festivals are over, since folks may arrive in a somewhat staggered manner, but once it's done, everyone wants to head home. While not "every day", it's still business as usual during those events.