WR checks ticketless travel in AC locals to improve punctuality | Mumbai news

MUMBAI: Could a dedicated squad of ticket checkers (TCs) in air-conditioned (AC) local trains be the key to punctual train services on the Western Railway? The railway believes it is.

Mumbai, India – October 03, 2022: Scores of commuters stranded at the Borivali station as they had a harrowing time on Monday morning, the first day of revised air-conditioned local services on the Western line. Commuters struggle to board the packed AC local train on Monday at 7.45am from Borivali station. It was only after the police intervened and asked a few commuters to alight did the train move. (HT Photo) (Hindustan Times)

It’s been a week since this 15-member squad dedicated to AC locals has been keeping tabs on ticketless travellers inside these locals. Ticketless commuters have been crowding AC locals, especially during peak hours, preventing the doors of these trains from closing. This, in turn, prevents the train from leaving the platform. Many ticketless travellers have also been crowding the footboards of AC trains, just as they do regular local trains. This too means the doors won’t shut.

A senior WR official said this triggers a domino effect, leading to delays down the line. At least 10% of the 40-50 daily local train services that are delayed are due to AC trains being held up at various platforms.

“Each day, we observe commuters on the footboard of AC locals, blocking the doors. This is especially true on the Borivali-Virar route. So we decided to form a special AC local squad, which would travel only inside AC local trains, even during peak hours,” said a senior WR official.

When the guard of an AC local gives the command to the doors from a panel in his cabin, they open and close in a synchronised manner. Any obstruction prevents the train from starting. Issues with doors closing have been causing delays of an average of 10 minutes on the overall punctuality of trains during peak hours, according to the senior WR official.

The special squad has fined 709 ticketless commuters using AC locals and collected fines of ₹2.30 lakh from May 30-June 5. “We will be expanding this squad,” said the WR official.

The WR operates 1,406 services daily, of which 109 are of AC locals. On weekends, the railway operates 65 AC services.

Railway passenger associations have welcomed the move. “Those without tickets inside AC locals have become a menace. People with AC tickets and season passes do not get seats because of them,” said Kailash Verma, president, Maharashtra Railway Commuters Council.

Nandkumar Deshmukh, president, Federation of Suburban Railway Passengers Association, said the railway could increase the number of AC locals while reducing its fares. “Commuters are forced to travel ticketless in AC locals because waiting for the next train means boarding an even more overcrowded train, especially during peak hours.”