Inside Western Railway's Mumbai Central control room: The team keeping Mumbai locals running during monsoon

While lakhs of commuters battle flooded roads and packed platforms a team inside Western Railways Mumbai Central control room works behind the scenes to keep every local moving midday spends a day with the men and women who monitor trains signals and every rainrelated disruption before it reaches passengersThe monsoon war roomWhereWestern Railway Divisional Control Office Mumbai CentralMissionKeep suburban trains running safely and on time during Mumbairsquos toughest monsoon daysThey monitorgtgt Every local traingtgt Every signalgtgt Waterlogginggtgt Point failuresgtgt Equipment faultsgtgt Public announcementsgtgt Disaster management coordinationgtgt Social media updatesMeet the guardians of the Western LineMK JageshTraffic InspectorLives AndheriOversees Entire ChurchgateVirar suburban corridorShift begins 7 amWhat he doesThe command centrersquos chief coordinator Jagesh ensures every controller station field team and disaster management agency works in sync whenever rain threatens operationslsquoOn a monsoon day punctuality is won or lost in seconds My job is to see the whole picture and make sure the entire line moves as onersquoAsit PanditSection ControllerAndheriVirarLives VirarDaily commute Over two hours each wayShift begins 6 amLooks aftergtgt Maladgtgt Goregaongtgt Nalasoparagtgt Other floodprone stretcheslsquoI travel this route as a passenger too This chair feels more like a responsibility than a workstationrsquoJitendra ChetiwalDeputy Chief Controller SuburbanLives BandraShift begins 7 amRoleConnects every section controller so decisions taken in one part of the railway donrsquot create delays elsewherelsquoMonsoon control is a team sport A controller at Virar and one at Churchgate must think as one mind My role is to make sure that happens minute to minute especially when water levels start rising at our sensitive locationsrsquoSompal SinghSection ControllerChurchgateAndheriLives DadarShift begins 6 amWatchesgtgt Train movementgtgt Signalsgtgt Platform regulationgtgt CongestionlsquoEvery green line is a moving train and for every red line we owe an explanation On a heavy monsoon day we are not just controlling trains we are reassuring lakhs of Mumbaikars that their next local will comersquoPriyanka ChaudharyElectric Signal MaintainerIIILives Charni RoadShift begins 7 amHandlesgtgt Signal failuresgtgt Data logger reportsgtgt Field coordinationlsquoA signal failure can delay thousands within minutes We try to stop that before it happensrsquoShamali KharatSenior Section Engineer SignalLives KalyanShift begins 7 amFocusOutdoor signalling equipment during heavy rainlsquoWe constantly crosscheck every alert with field teams so commuters never feel the disruptionrsquoHow one rainyday alert is handledgtgt Rain intensifiesgtgt Water levels monitoredgtgt Signal and track data checkedgtgt Field staff alertedgtgt Repairs coordinatedgtgt Controllers regulate train movementgtgt Passenger information updatedgtgt Services restoredThe monsoon war roomWhereWestern Railway Divisional Control Office Mumbai CentralMissionKeep suburban trains running safely and on time during Mumbairsquos toughest monsoon daysThey monitorgtgt Every local traingtgt Every signalgtgt Waterlogginggtgt Point failuresgtgt Equipment faultsgtgt Public announcementsgtgt Disaster management coordinationgtgt Social media updatesWhat happens when it poursControllers monitorgtgt Every train movementgtgt Every signalgtgt Waterlogged tracksgtgt Equipment failuresgtgt Platform congestiongtgt Timetable adjustmentsgtgt Emergency responsegtgt Public announcementsThey coordinate withgtgt Station Mastersgtgt Signal Engineersgtgt Maintenance teamsgtgt Field techniciansgtgt Disaster Management Control Roomgtgt Public information systemsgtgt Social media teamsQuote wallldquoEvery red signal demands an explanationrdquoSompal SinghldquoControllers must think as one mindrdquoJitendra ChetiwalldquoThis chair feels like a responsibilityrdquoAsit PanditldquoWe catch failures before commuters feel themrdquoPriyanka ChaudharyldquoRain is toughest on signalling equipmentrdquoShamali KharatldquoPunctuality is won or lost in secondsrdquoMK Jagesh