204 more local train services in Mumbai from Jan 29

An additional 204 special localtrain services will be run on the Mumbai suburban network fromFriday, railway officials here said.

With this, the total number of services, currentlyavailable only for select sections of commuters, on thesuburban network will go up to 2,985, the Central Railway andthe Western Railway said in a joint statement on Tuesday.

The addition of 204 suburban services will lead toresumption of about 95 per cent of the total 3,141 local trainservices, which were being operated collectively by the CR andWR before the COVID-19 outbreak, railway officials said.

The decision to increase the local train servicescomes after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray on Monday said adecision on allowing all commuters to board suburban trainservices in Mumbai will be taken ''soon''.

Thackeray held a review meeting on Monday on the issueof resumption of suburban train services, considered as thelifeline of Mumbai, for all members of the public.

Currently, only some categories of commuters, likewomen and those providing essential services, can travel bylocal trains in the Mumbai region after obtaining a specialpass, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The suburban train services were suspended in March-end last year due to the coronavirus outbreak and graduallyresumed from June.

''The Central Railway has now decided to increase thesuburban services from the existing 1,580 to 1,685 services,and the Western Railway has decided to increase the existing1,201 suburban services to 1,300 services with effect fromFriday,'' the CR and WR said in the joint statement.

Before issuing the joint statement, the WR announcedthat it would resume 100 per cent suburban services on itsnetwork, but later withdrew the decision.

In the joint statement, the railway authorities alsoappealed to travellers to follow the standard operatingprocedures related to COVID-19 prevention while travelling inthe local trains.

They also clarified that only passengers permitted bythe Ministry of Railways and the Maharashtra governmentallowed to travel in the suburban trains.

''Others are requested not to rush to the railwaystations,'' the release said.

During normal times before the lockdown, the CentralRailway used to operate 1,774 services, while the WesternRailway ran 1,367 services on the suburban network.

The CR and WR resumed the suburban services foremergency and essential services staff on June 15 last year.

Gradually, passengers from some other categories, likelawyers and staff of foreign consulates, were also allowed totravel in the local trains.

In October last year, the state government proposed tothe railway authorities to allow the general public to boardthe local trains at stipulated timings during non-peak hours.

But, the plan was put on the back-burner as COVID-19cases rose in some places after the Diwali festival.