CR's first AC local delayed, disrupts services; stampede-like situation

The 9:19am Thane-Nerul AC train arrived at 9:45am and the station was overcrowded.

Services on the trans-harbour line were completely disrupted and stations were overcrowded on Friday morning, after the Central Railway's first AC local was delayed. The huge crowds at every station also lead to a delay in door-closing of the AC local at every station.

When mid-day visited Thane, the 9:19am Thane-Nerul AC train arrived at 9:45am and when it arrived, there was complete chaos, as passengers inside the packed train struggled to come out and the crowd on the platform tried to get inside.

Though there were manual announcements about the introduction of the AC train, commuters rushed to get in when the train halted. With the platform and train being overcrowded, there was no scope left for ticket-checking or any other regulation.

"If this is going to be the scene everyday, the AC train should be taken out of peak hours and introduced in the afternoon till it settles down," Ankush Gawand, a commuter said. According to the regulations, the fare on the AC train is 1.3 times that of the existing first class fare and commuters have to buy tickets prior to the journey.

There are plans to get six AC local trains by March 2020 that will be introduced on the mainline between Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT)-Kalyan and on the harbour railway between CSMT and Panvel railway stations.

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