Ever since the local trains have become operational, the numbers have been steady both in the Western Railways and the Central Railways. While nearly 75,000 passengers travelled by train on June 16, 60,000 passengers travelled on June 15 which was the first day of the railways resuming operations.
The first train ran on the tracks around dawn on Monday. Approximately 200 local trains on Central Railway and 120 local trains on Western Railway have started operations. In the past, a meeting of railway officials was held to start local trains in Mumbai after which it was decided to resume the Mumbai local which happens to be the lifeline of the city. In order to curb the surge in the number of cases of coronavirus, only the people who are engaged in essential services would be able to travel in the local trains. People like police, doctors, nurses, municipal cleaners, journalists can traverse in the locals.
According to the joint media release by the Western and Central Railways, Western Railway will run 73 pairs of suburban services including eight pairs between Virar and Dahanu Road. Central Railway will run 200 services (100 up and 100 down) 130 services from Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (CSMT) to Kasara/Karjat/Kalyan/Thane and 70 services from CSMT to Panvel.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena leaders have been demanding bank employees be included in the list of essential services in order for them to board the train. Bank unions have also complained regarding the same adding that bank employees are not being allowed to use the service to commute to their workplaces. Banks which were declared as an essential service provider by the Ministry of Home Affairs have been providing uninterrupted banking services since the first lockdown announced on March 23. Western Railway and Central Railway are running selected suburban train services only for essential services as identified by the state government.
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