What led to cut in the number of commuters in local trains

Commuters and industry experts put this down to a section of professionals continuing to work remotely or in a hybrid fashion, hiving off around 19 lakh taking these routes

Mumbai While the hard-working Mumbaikar continues to jostle for space in over-crowded local trains, post-pandemic figures on the twin suburban lines – Central and Western -- show a dip in the number of daily commuters. From an average of 79 lakh on both routes in 2019, the number has dropped to around 60 lakh since January 2022, and has lately remained stagnant.

The Central Railway on an average had 45 lakh commuters in 2019 which has now come down to 32.5 lakh (Satish Bate/HT PHOTO)

Commuters and industry experts put this down to a section of professionals continuing to work remotely or in a hybrid fashion, hiving off around 19 lakh taking these routes.

This has translated into a dip in the crime rate and the number of deaths on the tracks, said the Government Railway Police (GRP). While 1322 people died on railway tracks in the first six months of 2019, in the same period of 2022, 1196 deaths were recorded.

The Central Railway on an average had 45 lakh commuters in 2019 which has now come down to 32.5 lakh. On the other hand, Western Railway had a daily average of 34.87 lakh in 2019, which now stands at 27.24 lakh.

Despite a lower ridership, Western Railway has included eight additional services, while its counterpart has 36 additional services post-pandemic.

“Though the present ridership numbers are not at pre-Covid levels, the services have been increased for the benefit of commuters,” said Shivaji Sutar, chief public relations officer, Central Railway.

Sameer Zaveri, a railway activist, observed, “Deaths have decreased on the tracks due to fencing between the platforms, which prevent trespassing on tracks. Installing escalators at several railway stations have also made crossing foot-over-bridges easy.”

Passenger associations have noted that the lockdown has led to people finding better jobs closer to home. Some have also chosen to exit the city opting to settle in rural areas.

As Kamlesh Shah, member of Bhartiya Rail Pravasi and Welfare Association, said, “Many opted to live in their village towns during the pandemic and have settled there. Businessmen now choose to have their goods delivered there rather than embark on arduous travels.”

Nandkumar Deshmukh, president, Federation of Railway Passenger Associations, said, “Many people lost their jobs during the pandemic. Long commute for those living in distant areas such as Karjat, Kasara and Khopoli can be expensive – most have therefore opted for workplaces closer home.”

This has turned around the number of deaths on tracks as well. Anil Kadam, senior police inspector of Borivli GRP, said, “The crowd has evidently decreased but sharp vigilance has also led to the number of deaths coming down.”

Zaveri added that going forward, overcrowding can be stopped short term by converting the first-class compartments in regular trains to general compartments as most commuters travelling first-class now take the airconditioned (AC) trains. “The frequency of AC trains has increased which has put a load on second class compartments in regular trains,” he said.

“Back in 2019 it was very difficult to take a train from Mankhurd at 9 am, which has become much simpler now,” said Shakeel Ahmed a railway and RTI activist. He put it down to a chunk of labour force leaving the city for good during lockdown.

Additionally, some commuters have opted for other modes of transport, given the easy availability of private AC buses running during peak office hours. “There are fewer stops in the private buses. I have the option of travelling only twice a week; so instead of boarding a crowed local train I either opt for an online taxi service or the premium buses,” said Amit Mulchandani, a resident of Thane, who travels to Nariman Point for work.