As the first day of the trains’ reopening dawned on Mumbaikars, no one expected to spend a major portion of their travel time at ticket counters, all say disappointed with ‘pointless’ time slots
Pic/Nimesh Dave
Day 1 of the reopening of trains for all did not see much crowd on the platforms and regular crowds inside trains at many stations. Booking counters, however, witnessed long, unrelenting queues with furious passengers wishing for some let-up in restrictions on timings. Read on to find out how major stations fared.
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Police personnel seen at Dadar station. Pic/Ashish Raje
Dadar
mid-day visited Dadar station on both the Western Railway and the Central Railway 6 am onwards. There were few people at the station. Around 120 Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel and around six ticket-checkers enforced COVID rules along with around 100 home guards. Many people travelled by the railways for the first time since the lockdown began. mid-day noticed that a narrow staircase marked for use only to climb down was being used to go up, despite signage put up by the railways. Machines dispensing masks and sanitisers were also put up.
Commuters inside a local train at Borivli. Pic/Satej Shinde
Borivli
“I should have planned this better,” rued Borivli resident Suresh Sawant as he witnessed a long queue at the booking centre and contemplated cancelling the trip due to the delay. At the platform, commuters ran to board trains, forgetting to wear the mask properly in the confusion. Inside the trains, there was no scope of social distancing, although the number of commuters was comparatively lower. However, reaching work on time seemed to trump any COVID fears. Commuters were heard ruing the restricted timings which do not help officegoers. Traffic outside the station turned chaotic with time, even as the promised police personnel were absent. Though Borivli returned to the hustle and bustle of pre-pandemic days, the crowds made people question if removing the restrictions would in fact be better.
People buy tickets at Andheri station. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Andheri
At Andheri, while the ticket counter was empty at 6 am, crowds started arriving from 12 pm onwards. Commute to the station on the western side was jam-packed. Autorickshaw driver Viren Kumar Sharma, 37, said, “The autorickshaw queue has been growing since morning. Business is better than the previous days.” Most people at the booking centre did not stand in the circles marked for social distancing. Sudeep Tawde, 34, a social media professional, said, “I had to change two buses to reach my workplace in Andheri in the morning. What is the point of letting general public travel only between 12 pm and 4 pm? Barely anyone travels at this time.” Kush Rajbhar, 36, a computer repairman, who came from Goregaon to Andheri in the afternoon, said, “Trains will make our lives easier but my work starts at 9 am so the travel time slots defeat the purpose.”
Commuters inside a train at Wadala station. Pic/Shadab Khan
Wadala Railway stn
Despite being the link between Harbour line and Western Railway, the station surprisingly did not have crowds. No police force was visible. The taxi service, an integral part of the station, also had a low turnout. Ashok Parte, a civic employee returning from the first shift, said, “I don’t see extra crowds. It is surprising that despite the opening for all, there’s no surge in commuters.”
Kurla station saw one of the most time-consuming queues at the ticket windows. Pic/Shadab Khan
Kurla
The station that sees crowds throughout the day did not have much crowd on Day 1. But the delay at booking centres infuriated commuters. The RPF was seen maintaining order. Mohammed Abdul, travelling to Diva, spent 40 minutes in the queue. “Is this how they prepared for the reopening? Instead of telling us to take care of COVID rules, they should focus on reducing crowds at ticket windows.” Harjiram Meena, deputy station manager, Kurla said, “We are analysing the situation right now. We will take steps accordingly.”
The platforms at Vashi station did not see much crowd
Vashi
The major station in Navi Mumbai did not witness much crowd on Monday but queues for tickets were long. Many opted for monthly passes. Kopar Khairane resident Roshan Patil was going to office in Fort for the first time in 10 months. “The odd slots will mean I have to work till late at night. My shift used to be from 10 am to 5 pm. I believe the timing will change now.” Manju Shetty was travelling to Thane on the trans-harbour line around noon. “I don’t find much difference in the crowd at this time. Earlier too, there would be fewer passengers at this time. I believe people want to work from home still.” No security or additional force was seen at the platforms.
Commuter Speak
Vishal Khunteta, Kandivli
Businessman with an office at Marine Lines
Good that they started trains for all. But the restricted timings do not make much sense. My work has to match with bank timings. Since it’s the first day, I am trying to figure out if I can grab middle ground as with trains I can drastically reduce my commute time.
Dr. Komal Panchal, Borivli
Travelling to Marine Lines
Being a part of essential services, I have been taking the trains through the lockdown. I have seen commuters’ approach from being cautious to casual. There is so much crowd today and many are not adhering to norms on mask and social distancing. It is a bit stressful.
Anant Vishwakarma, Dahisar
Heading to Churchgate
Whatever may be the crowd or the timing, locals are the best. Yes, I will have to manage my work hours to suit the train timings, but I don’t have a choice. Not just affordable, trains also save time and are much safer.
Sanjay Ajmera, Borivli
Travelling to Vasai
Instead of spending two hours on a bus, one hour on a crowded train is better. But this ticket queue is frustrating. They [railways] need to go back to the regular timings as too many people are dependent on locals.
Dhruvil Doshi, Borivli
Travelling to BKC
I used to travel in my own vehicle and would spend hours in traffic. That is going to change but they must think about the timings. By the time one reaches office it will be post lunch.
Bhola Yadav
Auto driver outside Borivli station
The station and the parallel road are packed today after a long time. The queue for tickets has spilled onto the road. We hope this gives us more business on short routes, with many now wanting to travel to and from areas near the station.
Text: Pallavi Smart
Pics: Satej Shinde
- Shirish Vaktania, Pallavi Smart, Gaurav Sarkar, Anurag Kamble
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