This Christmas brought the advent of the city's first air-conditioned local train; a new milestone for Mumbai's transport network. Even as the train made an exciting and adrenalin-filled debut, there was plenty of chatter from commuters who were assessing its pros and cons.

The loudest cheerleaders were not the people who will use the service, but the politicians who were quick to give credit to the ruling party for true 'vikaas'. The ruling party's ally, which sounds more like an enemy than an ally at most times, deflected the praise and said it was all due to railway officials.