Resume local train services in Mumbai for general public, passenger assns demand

As the state government begins the process of easing the lockdown restrictions in Maharashtra, associations of suburban train commuters have demanded that local trains should be resumed for the general public

As the state government begins the process of easing the lockdown restrictions in Maharashtra, associations of suburban train commuters have demanded that local trains should be resumed for the general public.

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With the second wave of coronavirus hitting the state, local train services were suspended for the general public for the second time on April 15.

Presently, local train services are operational only for people working in essential services and citizens travelling for vaccination or hospital. Nearly three million passengers are travelling by local trains on both the Central and Western Railway.

Passenger associations who met Central Railway officials on Wednesday asked for an increase in safety measures for women commuters, in the women compartment, and urged the railway authorities to open up local trains for the general public, like earlier.

“Train services should be resumed for the general public. As the state is unlocking, passengers that are travelling for work should be allowed to commute. We discussed this with the railway officials but they said that the decision on allowing people to commute is with the Maharashtra government. The government should immediately open train services with restricted timing like earlier,” said Subhash Gupta, president, Rail Yatri Parishad.

Associations have also stated that those passengers who are vaccinated should be allowed to commute. “As the government has been saying that people who have received even one vaccine dose are less likely to transmit the virus, they should then be allowed to commute. Passengers who have got one or both doses should be allowed to travel. We also urge the state government to ramp up the vaccination process,” said Lata Argade, secretary, Suburban Railway Passenger Association.

Shivaji Sutar, chief public relation officer, Central Railway, said, “Passengers as identified by state government are permitted to travel in suburban local trains. Our authorities are co-ordinating with state government for any further decision in this regard.”

Further, the Central Railway detected 32,000 ticketless commuting cases on its suburban railway corridor in May and collected a fine of ₹1.65 lakh. During April and May, 1.50 lakh cases of ticketless travellers were detected in suburban and non-suburban trains.