Due to the frequent delays of Mumbai local trains, commuters are being forced to endure daily hardship. To demand accountability, a delegation of railway commuter organisations met senior officials of Central Railway. However, instead of providing a clear timeline or concrete solutions, the officials merely offered verbal assurances, prompting strong dissatisfaction among the delegation.
Frustrated by the response, the commuter representatives issued a stern warning, stating, “Ensure punctual running of local trains or vacate your chairs.”
Since January 1, afternoon local services have been running late, Thane–CSMT local trains have been cancelled, and passengers are often left without proper information inside trains. As a result, daily local travel has become increasingly stressful for commuters.
Passengers have also expressed anger over Central Railway’s AC local services, describing them as “paying extra money to buy additional suffering.”
To raise these concerns directly, the delegation met Chief Passenger Transportation Manager (CPTM) Dr. Milind Hirve and Senior Operations Manager Anant Sharma. During the meeting, commuter leaders sharply criticised what they called indisciplined and inefficient management by Central Railway.
On the Kasara and Karjat routes, local trains are reportedly running 30 minutes late on a daily basis, severely disrupting office schedules, schools and colleges, and business activities. The delegation alleged that mail and express trains are being given unnecessary priority, leaving local commuters neglected.
They also pointed out that delays in completing pending infrastructure projects have put enormous pressure on the railway system, directly affecting millions of daily passengers.
In response, railway officials cited ongoing platform work under the 15-coach local train capacity enhancement projectand other development activities as reasons for the disruptions. They stated that commuter issues are serious and that various measures are being implemented in phases to address them.
However, the delegation dismissed these explanations as vague and accused officials of evading responsibility with routine assurances, reiterating their demand for immediate and visible improvements in local train punctuality.
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