Tech glitch in one AC local leads to cancellation of 15 services

The Western Railway (WR) officials attributed the situation to a technical issue in one AC train that led to the cancellation of 15 AC services throughout the day. The Western Railway (WR) runs 79 AC local services on a daily basis,

Mumbai: Air-conditioned (AC) local train passengers were in for a surprise after finding a general local during morning peak hours on Western line on Monday. The Western Railway (WR) officials attributed the situation to a technical issue in one AC train that led to the cancellation of 15 AC services throughout the day.

Mumbai, India – December 24, 2017: Western Railway today trial of AC local train along with General Manger and Western Railway Staff from Churhcgate to Borivali, it will be starting from 25th Dec 2017 on occasion of Christmas , in Mumbai, India, on Sunday, Dec 24, 2017. (Photo by Bhushan Koyande/HT) (Bhushan Koyande)

“We were waiting at Borivali for AC local at 8:26am but an announcement was made that it has been replaced by a general local. We have paid for AC train passes and are being forced to travel in regular locals during peak hours. There have been instances of AC not functioning properly, especially in the evenings. After paying extra, not having proper facilities is not fair,” rued Sarita Doshi, 45, a regular traveller of the 8:26am AC local from Borivali to Churchgate.

A senior WR officer said one train faced a technical issue with the tyre turning mechanism. “The additional parts required for the same had to be ordered from Pune that caused a delay, and we had to call off a few AC services. However, we ensured that commuters are not inconvenienced by running regular services and avoiding crowds,” he said.

The WR runs 79 AC local services on a daily basis, 15 of them were not functional on Monday due to a single rake having technical issues. There are five other rakes with the WR that were operational and the remaining services were operational as per the schedule.