HC suggests railways to increase the number of local trains in Mumbai

In a recently taken decision, the Bombay High Court has issued some instruction to the state government of Maharashtra regarding the Mumbai Local Services. Currently, these trains are being used by selected employees working in essential services, however, since the last few years, the number of passengers have increased, especially during the peak hours, and officials have received several complaints regarding the same.

Observing this, the bench comprising of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta and Justice Girish Kulkarni, on Wednesday, October 8, 2020, said that since the state government is slowly easing the lockdown, it should consider increasing the frequency and the number of the local train services.

Maharashtra is under the fifth phase of unlock, and the state has issued permissions for several services, malls, restaurants, bars, eateries, hotels, and private offices to resume operations, with a preset maximum capacity. Meanwhile, the government offices and essential services are also functioning with 100 per cent staff capacity. Keeping this mind, it is necessary for the government to increase the number of services, as it could avoid congestion on the Western, Central and Harbour routes.

Officials at the respective department have been asked to look into the suggestion and send a proposal to the respective railway administration at the earliest.

Besides this, bar associations located in Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar have also been asked to submit the details of lawyers who will be appearing in the court, as permissions will have to be arranged for their travel by local trains.

The court has received a number of petitions seeking permission to allow lawyers and their clerks to travel by local trains and categorise the same under essential services. Keeping these and other important observations in mind, the bench directed the government to increase the frequency and services of local trains to 600 on the Central Railway and 700 on the Western Railway.

Currently, a total of 431 round trips on the Central Railway and 512 round trips on the Western Railway are scheduled by the departments, however, the court has clarified that the suggestions have been given, and the bench hopes that they are considered in a positive way. These suggestions are made for the betterment of commuters in general and not just for lawyers or their staff.