Technical glitches disrupt services of two AC locals on WR

Two air-conditioned local trains on the Western Railway faced technical glitches causing inconvenience to commuters during peak hours in Mumbai. One train was cancelled and another had its doors kept open as the air conditioning wasn?t working. Commuters complained about severe rush and difficulty standing close to the door as AC locals do not have central poles at the entrance that people usually grab for support. WR authorities cancelled services at seven different times on the Churchgate-Virar route.

Mumbai: On Friday, in two separate incidents, two air-conditioned (AC) local trains on the Western Railway (WR) faced technical glitches causing inconvenience to commuters during peak hours in the morning.

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In the first incident, technical failure led to withdrawal of an AC local that resulted in the cancellation of seven of its services. In a span of around two hours, the doors of another running AC local were kept open as the air conditioning wasn’t working.

The first issue cropped up at 7.15am when a Virar-Churchgate AC local train was cancelled owing to a technical problem with the motor and was replaced with a non-AC train. The AC train was catering to at least seven services during the day and therefore, commuters, who regularly take this AC local train were forced to commute in a non-AC local.

In addition to the 7.15am train, WR authorities cancelled services at 8.53am, 10.20am, 11.48am, 1.18pm, 2.53pm and 4.20pm on Churchgate-Virar route. Sumit Thakur, chief PRO, WR, said, “Yes, there was a problem in one AC rake and hence, some services were converted to non-AC.”

Jagannath J, a regular WR commuter on his social media handle said there was no announcement about a non-AC train replacing the AC local. People complained about the severe rush and how difficult it was to stand close to the door as AC locals, unlike non-AC trains, do not have central poles at the entrance that people usually grab for support.

The air conditioning system of a Churchgate-bound slow train malfunctioned when it reached Mira Road at 9.02am. Sources said the AC local left Virar and by the time it reached Mira Road, there was chain pulling allegedly due to malfunction of the AC.

“The rail staff then overrode the system and ensured the doors of this AC local remained open even while the train was moving. Under normal conditions, an AC local cannot move if doors aren’t shut,” said an official from WR.

While this train was moving, the technical staff were working on rectifying the problem inside the AC local. There were videos that went viral of the AC local running with doors open.

“Subsequently, the non-functional AC local was attended to by concerned staff. By the time the train reached Mahalaxmi, all doors were closed and AC, too, had begun functioning,” added Thakur.

People questioned WR about who will compensate them for the ticket purchased and whether there will be a refund. Another WR commuter K Patil took the social media asking the WR to provide another AC local as people are paying for AC monthly passes in advance.