Mumbai: No change in local train timings for now

Even as the number of passengers on local trains has been on the rise, the railways are unlikely to extend the timings for general public, amid the surge in Covid cases

Even as the number of passengers on local trains has been on the rise, the railways are unlikely to extend the timings for general public, amid the surge in Covid cases. While the curbs won’t be lifted, the services won’t be stopped too, for now.

Local train services resumed for the general public on February 1. (Pratik Chorge/HT PHOTO)

Local train services resumed for the general public on February 1. The general public are allowed to commute between noon and 4pm, post 7pm and from the start of the local train services till 7am. Nearly 3.7 million passengers travel by local trains – 2.1 million passengers on the Central Railway and 1.7 million on the Western Railway – daily. Railway authorities said that they have not received any requests from the state government on restricting time or suspending local train services for the general public. The CR operates 1,685 local train services, while the WR operates 1,300. Before lockdown, 8 million passengers travelled by local trains on the CR and WR.

“We have not received any communication from the state or the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) regarding reducing local train timings or suspending train services. Reducing train timings will lead to overcrowding inside train compartments and on platforms. We will continue to operate the present number of local trains for essential workers, even if trains are later suspended for the general public,” said a senior railway official, who did not want to be named.

Further, state officials have stated that commuting restrictions for local trains are likely to continue. “The restricted timings for passengers travelling by local trains are likely to continue.” said a senior state official.