Skeletal local train services resume in Mumbai

After a gap of over two-and-a-half months, the Railways resumed limited suburban train services in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) on Monday morning, officials said.

The local services on the network of Central Railway (CR) and Western Railway (WR) – the city's lifeline — is specifically for the employees of the Maharashtra government who are engaged in essential services.

This follows repeated appeals by Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray to the Centre for resumption of services as part of the unlocking process post Covid-19 lockdown.

Accordingly, the familiar sight and sounds of the suburban trains greeted Mumbaikars since early morning as the CR and WR together started 450 services, according to officials.

The WR will run 60 pairs of its 12 car suburban services — total 120 — in both directions between Churchgate and Dahanu Road, according to WR spokesperson Ravindra Bhakar.

The CR will run 100 services on either side on its Main line – between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus to Thane, Kalyan, Karjat and Kasara and 70 services on either side of Harbour line — Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and Panvel, said CR spokesperson Shivaji Sutar.

"These trains will run between 05.30 hrs to 23.30 hrs", said a CR-WR joint statement early Monday.

"It is requested not to rush to the stations and follow medical and social protocols as mandated for CoVID-19," the CR-WR joint statement said..