In a show of solidarity for Union railway minister Dinesh Trivedi, railway unions in the city have threatened to stop the lifeline of Mumbai and outstation trains on Monday.

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“All 14 lakh employees of the Indian Railways are with Trivedi. General secretary JG Mahurkar will reach Mumbai on Monday, and we will register our protest by stopping trains. Trivedi has taken a correct stand for the railway community and we support his budget,” Ajay Singh of the Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh told DNA.

On March 14, Trivedi, a member of the Trinamool Congress, while presenting the Railway Budget proposed a hike in passenger and freight fares to consolidate the railway's finances. He also suggested a number of fundamental changes to improve the functioning of the railways.

But, party chief Mamata Banerjee got upset with Trivedi for increasing the fares, demanded a roll-back, asking the minister to quit.

M Raghavaiah, general secretary of the National Federation of Indian Railwaymen, which is affiliated to the Indian Trade Union Congress, has also written a strong letter to prime minister Manmohan Singh threatening to “resort to agitation to save the Indian Railways”.

The letter has been signed by the heads of four federations: The All Indian Railwaymen's Federation, the biggest union with 10 lakh members, the Indian Railway Promotee Officers' Association, Federation of Railway Officers Association and the All-India RPF Association.