Commuters have asked Western Railway (WR) authorities to take a re-look at the existing local train timetable and to increase the frequency of trains to Virar, as in the afternoons, there is a gap as large as 24 minutes between two trains.
“Local trains are our lifeline in Mumbai. I travel daily from Virar to Malad and other suburbs. But, while getting to Borivli station is no hassle, those wishing to go up to Virar face a lot of problem,” Bhavesh N Oza, a WR commuter, wrote to DNA Fix-It.
“There is a huge gap in the afternoons, from 2pm to 4pm, between Virar-bound trains. For instance, there is a 2.30pm local from Borivli to Virar. Then, a Bhayander local arrives at 2.40pm, a Vasai local at 2.45pm and a Virar local at 2.54pm. If people staying beyond Vasai somehow miss the 2.30pm local, they can take only the 2.54pm local. A gap of 24 minutes leads to overcrowding,” he added.
In the evening, there is a Borivli-Vasai local at 6.53pm, which is always chock-a-block. If this can be converted into a Virar local, commuters can travel comfortably, suggested Oza.
WR officials said destinations of trains are decided by rake-links, as a train makes 11 to 12 trips in a day. If the service of a single train is extended, it could affect other trips, they argued. “We will have to study the link of this particular train and only then will we be able to comment on it,” said a senior official, as he promised to look into the matter.
