Mumbai commuters seek more women’s coaches and lower AC local fares

Rupali Deshmukh, who travels between Mulund and CSMT, asked railway officials to add women’s coaches, saying only two women-special local services run in the evening.

Her demand was among commuter concerns aired at outreach meetings held by Central and Western Railway in Mumbai. At CSMT, Nivedita Shukla Verma, secretary in the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances, met passengers alongside Central Railway general manager Rajiv Shrivastava and Mumbai division DRM Hiresh Meena. Western Railway general manager Ramashray Pandey held a similar interaction at Mumbai Central.

Passengers from Dombivli and Badlapur described difficulty boarding and getting off crowded trains. They sought fast services from Diva and more slow locals for Kalwa, Mumbra and Diva after the 9.25am service from Thane.

Commuters also asked for lower AC local fares, retention of general coaches on mail and express trains, and one unreserved coach reserved for women. Meena said the request to reduce AC fares would be conveyed to senior officials.

At Dadar, Kishor Jadhav raised the lack of drinking water on Platform 8. Other passengers cited hygiene concerns around bhel vendors and said people were travelling in coaches reserved for persons with disabilities.