What Is Train Door Plating? Is It Going Away?

Rajdhani Express is in the process of being changed forever with the introduction of Tejas Rakes. There are many news features that Rajdhani will now come with as a result of this. From Air Suspension, improved interiors to passenger announcement systems and many others, this train is in for a major overhaul. The biggest change however is the introduction of automatic doors in coaches. So far only Metro trains in India have these doors which makes train travellers unprepared for this change.

The new Tejas rakes introduced in Agartala Rajdhani and Mumbai Rajdhani have only been in service for a couple of weeks now and in that time there have been many incidents of travellers getting stuck out of the coach. Sure, there is a button inside the coach to open the doors but this continuous opening and closing of doors when the train is set to depart creates delays. The biggest issue trains fans have with these automatic doors is the potential end of Door Plating!

What is Train Door Plating?

Train Door Plating or Door Plating is a very popular term among railfans is the process of sitting/standing by the door when a train is in motion. Though most people enjoy the wind in their heads, we Indians seem to take it a few notches further. We ride our bikes without helmets, we buy cars with sunroofs despite it being not suitable for our weather and we love to sit by the door on a moving train!

There is something pure about looking at the world jip past you while the wind blows your hair. We have been doing it since the first train rolled off in 1853. Ever since that day, people have been sitting/standing by the door taking in the scenery of this great nation.

All that is going to change

Every year, there are multiple deaths reported due to falling from a train while in motion. There is news about people falling asleep on the train door and falling down in the middle of the night. This is a big problem for all parties involved. The person who falls at over 100kmph has no chance of surviving given how our tracks are literally iron and rocks. This is also not good for the Indian Railways as it creates a lot of delays and other nuisance to the smoothness of the service.

To get rid of all these problems once and for all, the Indian government has introduced automatic doors. Now no one can sit at the door and take part in Trai Door plating as the doors would be closed when the train is in motion. What must indeed be sad news for Door plating fans could potentially save lives and make our trains faster.

Tough decisions however are a sign of growth. The Indian Railways is growing at a rapid rate and we as railfans should praise this growth, not be a hindrance to it. So while Door Plating is going away, our trains are getting faster and smoother, saving us time and making our journey luxurious. This is surely a good thing, isn’t it?

How to open train doors in Indian Tejas coaches?

These Tejas coaches have come at the expense of people who like to walk around on station platforms whenever a train stops. These coaches are certainly safer than the older coaches but they are also problematic for our Indian habits. Ever since these coaches have come into operation, many passengers have been left out of the coach due to their negligence.

So what should you do in case someone is left outside these Tejas coaches? How do you open the Indian Tejas train door?

There are actually two buttons given by the side of the door just for these situations. Pressing one button unlatches the door and you can manually pull open the door on Tejas coaches. Another button is there to lock the door once the passenger has come inside the coach. So next time you find someone stuck on the outside of these Tejas coaches, you can press these buttons to get them back in.

Manually opening doors however could land you into trouble similar to that of chain pulling so make sure you do not do it just for fun.