A last-minute announcement regarding a platform change at Ahilyanagar railway station sparked a stampede-like situation on the night of March 15, according to Andheri West resident Anand Shirali, who was awaiting the 11042 Sainagar Shirdi-Dadar Central Express with his wife Priti and daughter Risaa at the time of the incident. Shirali, a regular traveller to Ahilyanagar told mid-day, “The train arrives at 11.10 pm, as per schedule. At times, the platform is changed from 1 to 2 as several goods trains ply on the Platform 1 track.”
Priti and Risaa Shirali during an earlier visit to Ahmednagar, now Ahilyanagar PICS/ANAND SHIRALI
The history
Ahilyanagar is a city in and the headquarters of Ahilyanagar district, Maharashtra, India. Both the city and district were formerly called Ahmednagar. On May 31 2023, Eknath Shinde announced that Ahmednagar would be renamed Ahilyanagar in honour of Ahilyabai Holkar, a queen of the Malwa kingdom. On March 13, 2024, the Maharashtra state cabinet announced that it had approved the new name when announcing the renaming of seven railway stations in Mumbai
Meher baba
Meherabad is a spiritual retreat in Arangaon village about nine kilometres south of Ahilyanagar. Home to Indian spiritual master Meher Baba’s Samadhi Mandir. Meherabad was originally established as an ashram by Meher Baba in 1923.
The crowd surges at Ahilyanagar railway station as the platform change is announced
Shirali’s recollections
Looking back at the night he calls horrific, Shirali said, “The announcement of a change from Platform 1 to 2 was made exactly seven minutes before arrival. The train entered the station with passengers still struggling to get to Platform 2, juggling kids and luggage. I helped two co-passengers board. The train usually halts for three minutes, though this time I recall it was extended by three minutes. This train has many Shirdi pilgrims and followers of Meher Baba. There was total chaos and mismanagement as a result of the late platform change. Unfortunately, this has happened on several occasions earlier, too, but on Sunday, it was teetering on the verge of a stampede situation. I thought someone would have a heart attack,” concluded Shirali
Railway Speak
Dr Swapnil Nila chief public relations officer of Central Railway
‘I have asked individuals concerned to identify the cause for this and avoid platform changes at short notice’
Voices
Behram Boman Irani, 73, Mahim resident
‘I approached the station master P Kumar’s office thrice, requesting him to start the escalator. The ascending escalator was started while the descent was not working. The bridge steps are uneven, and some of them have slippery glazed bathroom tiles. I somehow got into the bogey with great difficulty, helped by Anandbhai [Shirali]. I took at least 15 minutes to settle down. It was extremely disturbing’
Pramila Akhtar Farooqui, 75, Goregaon resident who has vowed not to take the train
‘There was panic and chaos. We got on the escalator ascending, but had to take the stairs going down. I am a heart patient. I get palpitations. I thought somebody was going to collapse. Shouldn’t regular announcements be made with reference to platform change? That, too, at least half an hour or a little more ahead?’
