*~Ticket Please!!~*. Review on Local Trains

The other day, I had to catch a very early morning train (local of course) to reach my destination (College). I reached Andheri station half asleep & as it always happens in the wee hours of the first light, I forget to carry my railway pass while leaving home. Then what, like all other civilized & concerned citizens of Mumbai city, I went to the ticket counter to buy myself a ticket. After standing in the queue for 20 long minutes, the chubby old man at the ticket counter asked me rather grumpily to move to the next counter. Normally I would have argued with him & would have asked him the reason why he wanted us to move to the next counter. But it was 5.30am & my brain cells were still waking up. So, I moved to the next counter, although, quite reluctantly & stood there like a dumb monkey for more 15 minutes. I finally got my ticket 45minutes after reaching the railway station……There is nothing unusual about my experience as it happens with every Mumbaite who travel by Local train. But really, traveling by train in a city like Mumbai is one of the greatest experiences of India.

Mumbai has perhaps the best suburban electric railway system in the world. It is the best mode of long distance transport in a city like Mumbai since it is awfully economical & extremely fast. The local train is distinguishes between no less than 3 classes of travel, though you’ll seldom have 2 to choose from (1st class & the 2nd class). First class, is a comfortable compartment with soft cushioned seats (though, the seats are never in proper silhouette) is mainly used by executives, businessmen or Students & will guard you to a certain extent from the hustle & bustle of 2nd class. It costs 4 to 5 times as much as the 2nd class do, which is agonizingly congested during the daytime.

Mumbai’s local train service is conveniently divided into 3 different categories viz Western Railways(WR), Central Railway (CR) & The Harbour line. Trains of all the 3 service run between 3.30am to 1am. The Central Railway covers the area from Chatrapati Shivaji Terminal (Formerly known as Victoria Terminals) to Kasara, Titwala, Asangaon Ambernath, Thane & Kalyan while the Western Railway covers the area from Churchgate to Dahanu (Which is the last stop in the western line). The Central line operates, 1160 trains carrying 3.4million people per day & the Western line functions 967 trains carrying 3.1million passengers everyday.

Often during travel, new interest develop, habit changes & old activities are scrapped. I’ve noticed that train (Especially local train) is a meeting ground of people of different sorts, young & old, rich & poor, clean & filthy. Mostly I travel in a 2nd class compartment where I meet all types of people. There I meet college students for whom traveling is a source of pleasure. Their conversation is fraught with humor & non-veg jokes (Sometimes though its quite irritating to hear the same thing again & again). Those who travel daily forms a group (Say 4 to 6 persons) & play cards. You are also bound to meet those irritating type of passengers who will smoke cigarettes, throw skins of fruits on the floor & consume tobacco right in front of your nose (Even though, smoking is prohibited inside a railway compartment).

I’ve been traveling in a local train (I use both the services, Central aswell as Western) for almost 3 years now & with the grace of God, my pocket have been picked only 4 times by the ever watchful pick-pocket (See, didn’t I tell you that we are in safe hands). Traveling in a 2nd class railway compartment will also make us alert, attentive & vigilant. It is a good exercising place for those engaged in uncomplicated tasks & intellectual pursuits (Like Professors & Lecturers……[With all due respect to them]).

Avoid traveling during the rush hours (7am-11am & 17pm-21pm). This is the time when all amateurs & inexperienced people will shun away from traveling. Never attempt to board a running train as it might prove fatal (There is a train after every 3 minutes…So there is no need to display your running talent) & above all never, avoid any kind of confrontation with fellow passengers (Esp for people who are traveling with their family). Hanging out of the compartment to impress female commuters is a very common sight nowadays (Warning: People who hang out of the compartment are professionals….This should not be tried by any layperson).

Though, people may not be satisfied with the service provided by the Central & the Western Railway, there has been an impressive development in volume of passengers traffic both in terms of number of passengers & passenger kilometers traversed. And the fact still remains is that Mumbaites cannot live without the service of Local Trains & Mumbai will collapse without their services….