The Mumbai local, aka the lifeline of the city, has often been considered the backbone of the rushing, never-halting life that characterises the city. It has found a special mention in stories of Mumbaikars – stories of struggle, dreams, happiness, love, loneliness and more. However, when what formed an integral part of Mumbai’s identity only finds mention in stories of inconvenience, frustration and sometimes even tragedy, it becomes important to evaluate what went wrong and the steps being taken to make it right.

Yes, times have evolved, situations have changed and new challenges have emerged, but the resilience of Mumbai’s suburban railway has always been put to test, especially recently. “We feel ashamed at the manner in which commuters are made to commute,” is what the division bench of Bombay High Court said in June, addressing a PIL presenting concerning number of railway deaths in the city.