Mumbai Locals

The local trains are considered to be lifeline of Mumbai city, and it is generally said that if the local trains stop functioning the city comes to halt and people considered that day as non working day. Such is the importance of Mumbai local trains. The routes covered by local trains are : On Western Railway-Churchgate to Virar, On Central Railway – CST to Karjat and CST to Kasara and On Harbour Line of Central Railway-CST to Panvel, Thane to Panvel, Presently it has been estimated that about 7 million commuters travel on a working day  The Mumbai local train  system is more than 150 years old, in fact the first train started by Britesher was on the  section CST to Thane, which is part of Mumbai Suburban Rail network or popularly known as locals.

Most of the stations on Western Railway and Central Railway network were built during British rule, but Harbour line which was earlier running from CST to Mankhurd during British days were extended  upto Panvel after 1980s and similarly Thane Panvel line was also added in early 2000s. But on Western and central main line except few stations which were added after independence, the rest are from British days.

It is true that with the expansion of city , the Suburban Railway network increased the number of services, but the railways could never keep up with the pace in which city developed. I have been staying in Mumbai for almost last 6 decades and through out my life I have seen local trains over crowded during morning/evening peak hours and now a days peak hours never end . The platforms and over bridges  at many stations have remained same for ages although number of people using the same infrastructure must have increased multiple times. It is also true that at few stations new over bridges, platforms, escalators were added but in the last 2 decades, the city has gone over many changes, where the use of areas have gone for change. Like in Central Mumbai, which was Textile Mill area has now become a commercial office area, Andheri East, Bandra East,  which were earlier residential areas have now slowly emerging as main commercial hubs.

The stampede which happened at Elphinstone Road station’s over bridge last week , was basically due to very small over bridge. Due to heavy showers exit area  from the over bridge get blocked, which was due to commuters did not go out of exit area due to heavy shower outside, and with incoming rush from platforms from both Elphinstone Road and Parel stations the stampede started when few people slipped due to wet floor as per one version. There are many versions why stampede started but the fact is that the stampeded started and 23 people lost their lives and more than 35 people suffered serious injuries.

Now let me put briefly the probable reasons for the conditions, in which Mumbai Suburban Rail network has landed in the present state:

1. The first and foremost reason is that the no politician could ever understand the needs of  Mumbai Suburban Rail network including politicians from Mumbai.
2. Mumbai is the commercial capital of the country, but no one ever thought about its transport and topographical problems. Mumbai city is having very less area, with maximum working population.
3. When city areas were going under different use than the earlier one, no politician/minister/govt official ever gave a thought about transport issue of people who are going to come daily to that area.
4. Why no one ever gave a thought that certain local stations which did not have many commuters early are getting more commuters now, and the present infrastructure of the station is becoming insufficient to cater the needs of the floating population of that area.
5. As Railways come under Central ministry and Mumbai Suburban network was part of the ministry. Most of the Railway Ministers were not concerned with Mumbai’s problem, except when some Railway Minister was from Mumbai.
6. When people like Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mamata Banerjee became Railway Minister, they were only bothered about Bihar and Bengal. In Lalu’s time even jobs in Railway which were for western region were advertised in Bihar/UP newspapers, for which volunteers from Raj Thackerey Party MNS beat Bihari/UP youths coming to Mumbai for recruitment exams.
7. There was complete empathy  by Railway officials towards needs of Mumbai suburban network, because most of them at key officials sitting even in Mumbai  were from other states, ignorant about Mumbai Local’s problem. The height of which is the statement of Ex Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu, who said that new and wider over bridge was sanctioned by him in 2015, and it is Railway Officials who had not even floated tenders till the date of  stampede. If the work of new over bridge was started in 2015, then 23 people would not have lost their lives.
8. The political party which proposed that the name of Elphinstone Road to be changed to Prabhadevi , was not even tried to find out the problems faced by commuters at the said station. They just wanted to take the political mileage from the change of name, and do you know that on the same day of stampede, Railway Minister Piyush Goel in function was to change the station’s name officially to Prabhadevi.
9.  Now few of the leaders from local political parties have started saying that they will not allow the bullet Train work to start in Mumbai, unless Local train’s infra problems are not resolved. My only question to them is why they were keeping quiet till date or  they were ignorant about these infra problems or they were just woken by stampede accident, as they thought unless they protest now ,they will lose their vote banks.
10. As the current Railway Minister is from Mumbai, and who has traveled in local trains,has understood the problems and has ordered immediate audit of all stations which is to start from today. The E tender for new over bridge at Elphinstone Road station was issued on the same evening (stampede day).
11. Lastly Mumbai deserved Metro Rail system 2 decades back. Only 11 km metro network has started and rest is under construction/consideration at present. Who is to held responsible for that. The commercial capital of the country deserves much better transport system long time back but ??????

In the end what you say my friends.

Awaiting your feed backs and comments.