No comfort despite AC fare: CR commuters flag delays, ticketless travel menace

Regular commuters on Central Railwayrsquos airconditioned AC locals are losing patience over daily delays overcrowding and lack of ticket checking Frustrated passengers many of whom have formed WhatsApp groups to share grievances say they pay premium fares but get ldquothe same chaos as regular trainsrdquoDespite paying for monthly quarterly or halfyearly passes passengers claim they are often forced to stand during peak hours Many allege that unauthorised railway staff and ticketless travellers occupy seats while ticket checkers and RPF patrols are rarely seenlsquoWe pay but still standrsquoLast week regular AC commuters mdash including Mukesh Makhija and Seema Parab mdash met Senior Divisional Commercial Manager DCM Prakash Kanojia after the Divisional Railway Manager DRM was unavailable They submitted a written complaint highlighting overcrowding frequent delays and lack of enforcement and demanded stricter monitoring and more AC servicesWhile the meeting was not photographed discussions were detailed and recorded DCM Kanojia assured them that the proposal for additional AC trains would be reviewed during the next timetable revision but final approval lies with the Railway Board Unhappy with the ldquorecurring neglectrdquo commuters now plan to form a registered passengersrsquo association to escalate their demands to the Railway Minister and senior Railway Board officialsDelays add to the heatFrequent cancellations and delays of AC locals have compounded commuter woes When services are cancelled AC ticketholders are forced into overcrowded regular fast or slow trains Commuters also questioned the underuse of the new fifth and sixth lines between Lokmanya Tilak Terminus LTT and Kalyan ldquoOnly about 10 per cent of longdistance trains use the new lines The rest still run on the older fast corridors causing delays of up to 40 minutesrdquo one commuter saidCommuters offer solutionsPassengers suggested deploying dedicated ticket checkers and RPF personnel exclusively for AC locals mdash three of each per train covering all compartments in shifts from 7 am to 11 pm Regular checks they argue would deter freeloaders and improve safety Currently Central Railway operates AC locals between CSMT and Thane Dombivli Kalyan Titwala Ambernath and Badlapur Commuters say they pay for comfort and punctuality but get neitherTrouble on outer routesDelays also plague KalyanndashKasara and KalyanndashKarjatKhopoli routes due to congestion engine failures and priority given to longdistance and freight trains The impact is worst for lowincome commuters from distant suburbs and tribal belts who risk pay cuts or disciplinary action for arriving latePanvelndashKarjat promise or problemRailway authorities have promoted the new PanvelndashKarjat Harbour line as a faster route saving up to 30 minutes But commuters warn the relief may be shortlived ldquoEven after doubling goods and passenger trains will share tracks Wersquoll face the same bottlenecks seen on other corridorsrdquo said a commuter from Ambernath They also flagged the rapid rise of residential projects along the new line which could add thousands more daily travellers ldquoNew routes are being opened without planning Instead of easing pressure the load is just shiftingrdquo one commuter addedCommuters demand actionWhether itrsquos AC locals or regular trains Central Railway commuters say theyrsquove had enough They are demanding dedicated ticket checking stronger RPF presence and better infrastructure use ldquoAC travel should mean comfort and punctuality mdash not paying extra for the same old problemsrdquo said Seema ParabOfficial SpeaksDr Swapnil Nila chief public relations officer of Central Railway said that the letter from AC commuters to the DCM had not yet reached his office ldquoOnce we receive it we will look into the matterrdquo he added