Commute to hell: ‘By the time I reach office, half my energy is drained

A routine morning commute turned deadly on April 29 2024 when 26yearold Riya Rajgor fell from a moving fast local between Kopar and Diva stations She was standing on the footboard of a crowded compartmentmdashan everyday risk for millions in Mumbai For city commuters such tragedies are grimly familiarThirtysixyearold Riya Malvankar an interior designer from Vasai experiences this anxiety nearly six days a week She commutes between Vasai and Andheri during morning and evening peak hoursmdasha journey fraught with challenges such as sudden platform changes erroneous indicators and overcrowded trains Despite multiple hurdles Riya must still balance household responsibilities and professional commitmentsMorning commute A battleThe packed morning train from Vasai that Riya Malvankar travels in every dayTo understand her everyday ordeal we accompanied Riya on one of her morning commutes from Vasai to her office in MIDC Andheri East Riya first takes an auto from her house to Vasai station which is a relatively easier task Boarding the 727 am Dadar fast local from Vasai we witnessed firsthand the chaos of Mumbairsquos lifelineJumping into moving train1 Women literally jump into the train to secure a seat or at least a space to stand Those familiar with the tricks of boarding manage to squeeze in while novices struggle at doorways blocked by passengers preparing to alight at upcoming stations The journey offers a vivid glimpse into a ldquocommute to hellrdquo where every trip reminds passengers of the razorthin line between a safe arrival and a tragic mishapMissing train leads to long delays2 Speaking to midday about her daily struggles Riya said ldquoI have been travelling by the local trains for the last 15 years Every year train travel gets more difficult I usually board the 716 am or 727 am train from Vasai to Andheri Getting on the train and finding even a place to stand is such a struggle that by the time I reach my office half my energy is already drained I donrsquot feel like working after thatrdquoRiya Malvankar on her way to the office in a rickshaw in AndheriGetting auto a herculean task3 ldquoIf I miss these trains I face a delay of at least half an hour or more From Andheri station I take an auto to my office in MIDC which normally takes just 7ndash8 minutes in the morning But getting an auto outside Andheri station is a herculean taskrdquo she addedRiya leaving office PicNimesh DaveLeaving office Incorrect indicators4 Riya leaves her office around 445 pm which is slightly earlier than the evening rush hour She takes an auto from MIDC in the Andheri East to Andheri station Detailing her return journey Riya said ldquoIn the evenings we take a train from Andheri to Vasai again during peak hours The digital indicators on the platforms often display incorrect train timings and sometimes at the last minute the platform itself is changed A minute before the train is supposed to arrive it might shift to another platform leaving us scramblingrdquo The evening rushRiya Malvankar prefers commuting in the AC local during the evening as it is less crowded PicNimesh Dave5 ldquoAfter all this you still struggle to find a place to sit or stand We rush to board the 525 pm 610 pm or 652 pm local If you miss these trains after that getting into any train becomes nearly impossible I target the 525 pm local because it is an AC local and therefore less crowded which means I have to rush through my day finish my work pack up and leave the office by 445 pmrdquo From Vasai station then again she takes another auto back homeThirtysixyearold Riya Malvankar an interior designer from Vasai experiences this anxiety nearly six days a week She commutes between Vasai and Andheri during morning and evening peak hoursmdasha journey fraught with challenges such as sudden platform changes erroneoushellip httpstco5X2MtnhpHs pictwittercomadFi8c7MiTmdash Mid Day mid_day February 18 2025Riya lives in Vasai with her husband fiveyearold daughter and inlaws Recalling a past tragedy she said ldquoA few years ago one of our neighbours fell off the train and died It felt like a personal loss Many of my colleagues also took that same train so it affected all of us Thankfully my boss was considerate enough to adjust work hours so we could leave early and board less crowded trainrdquoCommuters demand basic fixesWhile Riya and her fellow commuters acknowledge the Railwaysrsquo larger challenges she believes small solvable issuesmdashlike unreliable indicators and lastminute platform changesmdashshould not be ignored ldquoWe understand that migration canrsquot be controlled and that crowds will keep increasing The railways have their own set of challenges but basic issues can be fixedFor example during peak hours firstclass compartments are often overcrowded with secondclass ticket holders We donrsquot have the authority to check them so TCs should be more frequent Indicators often display incorrect arrival times showing a train is arriving in a minute when it actually arrives seven or eight minutes later Platforms are also changed at the last moment making passengers rush dangerously from one end to another All these things add to our daily chaosrdquoRiya and her fellow commuters had even written to the Andheri station master about these issues before the pandemic However no action has been taken and the problems remain unresolved716 am or 727 amTrain Riya boards from VasaiReader SpeakS N KABRAlsquoThis refers to lsquoCommute to hellrsquo Railways should manage peakhour rush by introducing doubledecker trains adding more compartments or both Upgrading local trains is essentialrsquoPERVYYN KAVARANAlsquoCommuters need better service and suburban rail must adjust train patterns for smoother travel Overcrowded routes require relief possibly through a parallel overhead corridorrsquoMAYA HEMANT BHATKARlsquoMumbairsquos local trains are the cityrsquos lifeline but peak hours turn commuting into a struggle Overcrowding especially from suburban areas causes chaos and fatal accidents The Railways seem unable to resolve this When will Mumbaikars finally have a safe journeyrsquoIQBAL GILANI MANSURIlsquoBoth commuters and railway authorities share responsibility for accidents Preventing casualties requires secure infrastructure access control better monitoring more bridges security guards extra coaches frequent trains and doubledecker bogies during peak hoursrsquoP V PRAKASHlsquoCommuters should ensure punctuality and the Railways should increase the suburban train services during peak hours introduce 15coach trains and deploy guardspolice near local trains for safetyrsquo