Mumbaikars travelling daily by local trains share travel hacks for safer commute

Nearly a week after the Mumbra mishap when four people died and nine were injured after falling off two overcrowded trains as they crossed each other a fivemember committee continues to deliberate on what exactly went wrong that dayConflicting theories abound ranging from witnesses saying they felt they were hit by something to someone saying that one commuterrsquos nausea triggered a chain reaction among passengers to impact dents on the coaches leading to a new theory that an alien metal object hit the trainIt may be a while yet before the experts figure out how to prevent a repeat of the incident Meanwhile Mumbaikars continue to risk their lives on their daily commute to and from work Sunday midday speaks to some commuters who have figured out their own cheat code to travelling safely in the city1 Early bird gets the wormRutuja Balraj 21Route KalyanCSMTMedia graduateUsing trains since Six yearsRutuja Balrajrsquos biggest fear is missing her Kalyan stop and having to wait at stations beyond her stop most being remote and lonely PicsShadab KhanEvery day Rutuja Balraj would leave her home in Kalyan at 540 am armed with a packed bag and mental grit To make it to her 8 am lectures at St Xavierrsquos College Fort she had to catch the 6 am slow local one of the few trains she could reliably board without being shoved aside by the crowd For four years she made this journey which was a twohour ride each way navigating the cityrsquos Central line chaos with nearmilitary precisionldquoFast trains come from beyond Kalyan and theyrsquore impossible to board I only stick to slow Kalyanstarting trainsrdquo says the 21yearold ldquoIf I miss my regular I take an AC train Itrsquos more crowded later in the morningrdquoRutuja BalrajBalrajrsquos voice is calm but practised like someone who has built muscle memory around every push pause and platform If a train looks too crowded she skips it ldquoIn 1995 my mom fell off a crowded train and was left with a severe knee injury Since then Irsquod rather be late that risk a packed trainrdquo she sharesHer biggest fear is missing her stop ldquoGetting down at Kalyan is a game You have to strategically get up from the seat two or three stations early If you miss that window yoursquore stuck till Ambivli or some remote station beyond Irsquove had to wait alone at nearempty platforms for 20 minutes before the next train to CSMT comes alongrdquoHer challenges multiply when shersquos carrying a laptop or camera ldquoYou need to position yourself perfectly Itrsquos chaos with 10 people getting off and another 20 getting on Irsquove seen people fallrdquo She casually remarks that shersquos seen people pass out from suffocation on crowded trains all too often ldquoOnly the privileged can afford safety Firstclass AC compartments mdash they buy you space and time Others just have to surviverdquoHaving recently graduated from the BMM programme at St Xavierrsquos Balraj looks back on her commute with a mix of awe and fatigue mdash a daily race that shaped her not just as a student but as a Mumbaikar2 First station first serveAshish Dwivedi 32Route VirarAndheriPublicist at a financial services companyUsing trains since 18 yearsTravelling on local trains since he was 14 Ashish Dwivedi now 32 is no stranger to the tricks of the Mumbai commute Until 2019 three hours of his day went towards the commute between his Naigaon home and Andheri workplace The tedious journey prompted him to move mdash not closer to his office but farther away He moved to Virar which now means he spends an additional 20 minutes on the train And yet itrsquos made his commute easierHow Virar is the starting station which means Dwivedi has a chance at finding a seat or at least a safe spot to stand inside the coach The problem at Naigaon which comes a few stations later was ldquono spacerdquo The proliferation of socalled ldquotrain gangsrdquo adds to the problem ldquoThey donrsquot let other people come inside because it hampers their comfortrdquo he says Many travellers stand on the footboards putting their lives at stake to get home as quickly as possible ldquoThey board the train regardless of how crowded it is they just want to get home quickerrdquo he addsRecounting his own narrow escape from 2017 Dwivedi says ldquoI boarded the train from Naigaon somehow but while hanging on the footboard there was so much pressure from the crowd that my hands went numb and I nearly lost my grip almost falling into the creek between Naigaon and Bhayandar but somehow managed to stay on the footboard long enough till it reached Bhayandar station and then sat on a bench to process what had just happened I could have fallen off that day I took leave from work that day went home and bought a motorcycle on loan just to avoid trainsrdquoAfter this lifealtering event Dwivedi also began investing in life insurance and SIPs creating a safety net for his familyThe same year he suffered an injury to his lower back when he resumed train travel during the monsoon The injury sustained when he was shoved by rushing passengers rendered his body temporarily immobileHe moved to Virar in 2019 ldquoI can get inside the train comfortablyrdquo he says But itrsquos still tedious ldquoI have to leave early to make it for the train by 730 am So I have no personal timerdquoTo disconnect from the routine pressures of his office commute Dwivedi carves out time to relax at the beach every other night He believes that selfcare is essential3 Target the coaches at the far endPratham Mrabhakar 20Route MulundCSMTBrand strategy internUsing trains since Six yearsPratham Mrabhakar is full of train travel hacks PicsAshish RajeIf theres a science to surviving Mumbai locals Pratham Mrabhakar has perfected it A regular commuter from Mulund to CSMT the 20yearold has spent the past six years experimenting with compartments routes and timings mdash all to avoid the cityrsquos infamous train rush His cheat code begins with targeting coaches at the far ends of the platform ldquoThe front and rear compartments are emptier because the staircases are always in the middlerdquo he explains ldquoPeople donrsquot want to walk those extra two minutes But I do Thatrsquos where you get spacerdquoThe second class coaches near the compartments for women or persons with disabilities are ldquomore crowded because theyrsquore closest to the stairsrdquo He also aims for the middle doors of long compartments not the sides ldquoEveryone comes from both ends and flocks to those The middle is the sweet spotrdquo His techniques for avoiding crush hour does not end there Mrabhakar sometimes chooses the compartment based on where he needs to alight at his destination station ldquoIf I have to alight quickly at CSMT I board the part of the train closest to the exit gates That can save five minutesrdquoIn his early commuting days Mrabhakar experimented with AC trains but no longer finds them worth the money or effort ldquoThere was a 655 am AC fast from Dombivli that Irsquod catch from Thane For a while it was great It was early reliable cool and Irsquod get a seatrdquo But that changed quickly ldquoNow queues begin 10 minutes in advance like the Metro If yoursquore not early you canrsquot get on itrdquo He also swears by Mindicator and clever hacks like buying a cheap hook to hang his laptop bag from overhead rods to relieve shoulder pressureTherersquos a reason Mrabhakar applies cold logic to every aspect of his commute behind it lies his lived trauma ldquoAt Dadar I once saw a homeless man fall and get crushed between the platform and train People just went back to their phones Since then I have never leaned at the door never crossed tracksrdquo For Mrabhakar beating the crowd isnrsquot for his convenience Itrsquos for survival4 Peak hour brotherhood Dinesh Mohite 38Route TitwalaCSMTStaff at St Xavierrsquos CollegeUsing trains since 19 yearsDinesh Mohite pink Tshirt and his friends all travel together from Titwala to CSMT PicsSayyed Sameer AbediDinesh Mohite has been commuting on the cityrsquos Central line for nearly two decades Itrsquos where he found his second family a brotherhood of fellow commuters who keep each other safe and share their daily joys and strifeldquoWersquore a group of 40 to 50 people We occupy about eight full coaches between usrdquo Mohite tells us ldquoEveryone boards and gets off at different stations We met each other on the train and became friends Now we go to each otherrsquos houses for Ganeshotsav we are there for each other during difficult times we organise birthday and retirement parties for each other We are all like family to each otherrdquoThe group has been travelling together for about 10 years or so some members have joined in the last few years some have been a part of the group since it was formedAnyone can join the group says Mohite ldquoas long as we like their naturerdquoWhen asked what precautions they take to ensure each otherrsquos safety he says ldquoWe never hang outside the coach We donrsquot hold seats for anyone because they are on firstcome firstserve basis But we want to ensure that everyone gets seated For example if someone gets on at Dombivli and has to get off at Thane he will get the seat on priority Once he leaves at Thane maybe someone who has to get down at Ghatkopar will get a seat We also keep rotating so no one has to stand throughout the journey Itrsquos an unsaid understanding people get up themselvesldquoIn 2008 I was in an accident myself Swept along by the commuter rush at Masjid Bandar I crashed into a pole Thankfully I was saved but therersquos not much that can be done to protect people in such a crush No one hangs out of a train if they have other options Sometimes we try to pull people inside but sometimes the trains are just so packed an accident is inevitablerdquo2008year in which Dinesh Mohite was in accident that was close call5 Trains are still best optionRudra Thakkar 20Route MulundFort by carLaw student and internUsing trains since Six yearsRudra Thakkar loves Mumbai local trains but uses his car for comfort and presentation at his workplaceRudra Thakkar a law student and intern usually drives from his home in Mulund to his law internship in Fort Although hersquos been using local trains since he was in Class 10 and praises them as the cityrsquos fastest and cheapest commute option he prefers to drive whenever the situation calls for more comfort or when he has to look presentable for workldquoThe only times I choose to drive is if I have a function to go to Irsquom tired or I have a lot of things to carryrdquo he says ldquoI know I canrsquot travel by train when I need my shirt to retain its ironed crispnessrdquoHis reasons are practical doortodoor convenience uninterrupted air conditioning the ability to carpool and above all personal space But driving he admits comes with its own headaches ldquoWith all the construction and rising traffic sometimes Irsquom just a sitting duck in my carrdquoWhen it comes to punctuality he still trusts trains more ldquoEven with all the crowding and pushing I can rely on a local to get me to Fort in about an hourrdquoThakkar plans to return to commuting on the locals when his college resumes in Juhu ldquoDriving in Juhu or Andheri is the worst The roads are broken there are potholes everywhere unnecessary speed bumps mdash itrsquos exhaustingrdquoUltimately his commute is a daily balancing act between chaos and conveniencelsquoCorporates need to collaborate with civic bodiesrsquoPreeti VermaHR Consultant with 22 years of industry experienceldquoMost organisations are moving to fulltime work from the office I know a lot of big organisations like JP Morgan for example are pushing towards fulltime inoffice work Therersquos a lot of chatter about that CEOs feel productivity and engagement are better when people are in office They believe collaboration improves supervision is easier and efficiency increases when teams are physically present It also allows for more standardised approaches across teams Of course this means higher infrastructure costs but companies are still investing in office spaces that show theyrsquore serious about this shiftI think people are the biggest driving force for any organisation Companies should design policies that address the majorityrsquos needs even if they canrsquot help everyone Companies usually adopt a standard approach across locations especially within India But of course cities like Mumbai and Delhi face bigger commuting challenges That may mean adopting a nuanced approach based on geography In some cases companies can even collaborate with local authorities especially since public transport falls outside corporate control A partnership approach is essential for making commutes safer and more manageableAnother strategy I see being used is that companies are now targeting tier2 cities like Jodhpur and Warangal to allow people to work closer to home This eases pressure on metro cities and reduces the need for relocation and long commutes It also helps with resource managementCityflo The great big alternativeJerin Venad CEO amp CoFounder at Cityflo HR Consultant with 22 years of industry experienceCityflo an appbased bus service has turned out to be a reliable alternative for the Mumbai commuter Citizens can avoid the train rush and travel in airconditioned comfort without the hassle of owning a private vehicleThe service also offers app tracking direct routes and safety Jerin Venad the CEO shares ldquoWersquore focused on building a scalable highquality mobility network that keeps pace with the growing need for reliable daily transport across MMR With over three million rides served last year we continue to expand on highdensity corridors while piloting new transit formats to better match evolving commuter needsldquoThe run times have increased across the city as expected in a region where vehicle density over the last five years has grown by 25 per cent and private vehicle ownership grew by 15 per cent last year alone A single Cityflo bus can replace up to 25 car trips daily during peak hours and if scaled meaningfully this model could reduce road space by up to 75 per cent on certain routes which means faster journey times for everyone Our effort is to make this shift frictionless by ensuring ontime performance flexible time slots and a ride experience good enough to convince car owners to make the switchldquoLarge infrastructure projects like the Mumbai Metro and Atal Setu are critical enablers to our goal Wersquore actively integrating our services with this evolving landscape through direct commuter routes as well as first and last mile connectivity around upcoming metro stations and transport hubs Wersquore also closely aligned and with public initiatives under the Gross Cost Contract models to operate clean efficient public transport at scale in partnership with the governmentrdquoHow train apps can help warn commutersMINDICATORWith over 1 crore downloads MIndicator has become synonymous with train travel in Mumbai Launched in 2010 by Sachin Teke the app started during the Nokia Java phone era and has since evolved into an essential tool for local commuters offering train schedules platform numbers and live updatesldquoWe were the first to do itrdquo says Teke developer of the app ldquoWersquove consistently focused on the app for 15 years and maintained the data Thatrsquos why people trust us Itrsquos brand loyaltyrdquoAfter the recent Mumbra train incident the app is now gearing up for a major update AIpowered safety alerts ldquoRight now commuters can post in our chat section but replies take up to 15ndash20 minutes Wersquore now launching AIbased chat responsesrdquo Teke shares ldquoIf someone flags a safety issue it will instantly alert others travelling on that same route mdash even before authorities knowrdquo With AI integration the app will also be able to verify incoming user alerts by scanning for multiple reports of the same issue For a city that runs on the rails MIndicator remains vitalYATRIYatri mdash the official Mumbai local app backed by the Indian Railways mdash is quietly laying down its own tracks With just over 10 lakh downloads Yatrirsquos cofounder Reeva Sakaria points to its relative newness ldquoWersquove only been around for over three years If you compare it with the others in the market itrsquos just a legacy gap not one of successrdquo she saysWhat sets Yatri apart is its investment in realtime accuracy ldquoWersquove installed GPS devices on every single local trainrdquo Sakaria explains ldquoOur data isnrsquot crowdsourced mdash it doesnrsquot show you an ETA based on speculationrdquoIn the aftermath of the Mumbra train mishap Yatri focused on timely communication ldquoWe pushed alerts across social media and within the app Wersquore now working on showing trains likely to be crowded mdash though we lack access to CCTV or heat maps wersquore doing what we can within our limitsrdquo she addsAs for user interface Sakaria acknowledges the loyalty commuters have toward older apps ldquoPeople have been using the same UI for over 14 years But wersquore building our own identityOur focus rather is on designing a more intuitive userfriendly interface for the audiencerdquoLooking ahead Yatri hopes to become a onestack national commute app With growing tech infrastructure Yatri may be playing catchup but itrsquos definitelyon track7Avg no of deaths per day across CR and WRSource GRP report 2025By Tanisha Banerjee Akshita Maheshwari amp Saesha Deviprasad