Mumbai's AC trains: Persistent delays, overcrowding, and maintenance woes—Are complaints falling on deaf ears?

It is no secret that the trains running on the Mumbai suburban network, colloquially called local trains, are the lifeline of the city. And both-Central and Western Railway-in an attempt to make commuters' lives easier, decided to introduce air-conditioned local trains.

Considering the current state of these trains and their services, the idea of their introduction now seems rather improbable. Although some passengers find the experience satisfactory, numerous regular users have repeatedly voiced their deep-seated frustrations.

The complaints, spanning from frequent delays to poor maintenance and water leakage during the monsoon, have sparked a broader discussion about the state of AC train services and the railways' ability to fulfill the expectations of the millions who depend on them daily.

Rising discontent among commuters

Daily commuters have increasingly voiced their discontent with the current state of AC train services in Mumbai. Both the commuters and the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, a prominent commuter organisation, have highlighted that the problems affecting these services are complex and have persisted for several months. Regular passengers have reported a range of issues, including erratic train schedules, malfunctioning air conditioning units, and water seepage during the monsoon season.

Speaking to mid-day.com, Prabhas J', who commutes to and from Dombivli, said that though the travel is comfortable in AC locals, the services not being punctual is a major issue. Apart from that, he pointed out that ticketless commuters often board the trains leading to overcrowding.

"While my general experience with AC rail services has been positive there are a few minor glitches that arise from time to time, particularly during the monsoon. The Central Railway services are quite poor; at least twice or thrice every week, the trains are over 15-20 minutes late. On some days, I witness a large crowd of persons entering AC trains and the majority of them do not have a valid pass or ticket. Ticket Checkers aren't always available on trains, and individuals are aware of this, so they abuse this opportunity to travel ticketless inconveniencing others," said Prabhas.

Ruhi Sharma', a daily commuter from Bhayander to Churchgate, expressed that although she appreciates the comfort of AC locals, the overcrowding is a significant inconvenience. She noted that many passengers at Mira Road and Dahisar stations are unable to board the train, as it is already packed by the time it reaches Virar.

Meanwhile, Karan Suri', a resident of Vasai, shared his dissatisfaction with the AC train services, telling mid-day, "My experience hasn't been great. There's often a lot of rush, the AC sometimes malfunctions, and I've even noticed water leaking from the units."

He, like many other passengers, emphasised that ticketless travel in AC local trains is a common practice due to the lack of regular ticket inspections. Karan added that the overcrowding in these trains is nearly as severe as in regular locals, and the number of AC trains available is insufficient to meet the growing demand.

Siddhesh Desai, the General Secretary of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, told the newspaper that the organisation had since inception asked the Railways to not introduce these services and instead augment the existing infrastructure,

"The inception of AC locals began from a Public Interest Litigation following the death of a commuter who fell from a train. None of the commuter associations had sought AC locals. They ran trials and during the initial stages, we warned them about the overcrowding during peak hours. As we had gauged, it has become the biggest issue for commuters - the doors often fail to close properly, leading to delays in service," said Desai.

Desai said during monsoon, rainwater seeps into some of the trains and added that several users of X (formerly Twitter) post videos of these incidents tagging them and officials. "Fortunately, the CR rectified the issue. However, despite paying a higher fare, commuters still find themselves unable to travel comfortably," he added.

Impact on daily commuters

The issues are not just about comfort; they also have a substantial impact on commuters' daily lives. Many customers chose AC trains to avoid the congested and frequently chaotic conditions found on non-AC local trains, particularly during peak hours. Many people believe that there are no feasible alternatives because of the problems with AC trains.

When asked whether issues in delayed service etc have caused Karan to be late multiple times before. "Yes, AC trains are frequently delayed, which further disrupts my schedule. I end up arriving late or having to leave earlier, which upends my routine and complicates travel planning," he said.

Meanwhile, Prabhas remarked, "The low frequency and frequent delays compel me to use regular locals, despite having an AC pass. Consequently, I find myself relying on regular locals even in the mornings."

This sentiment reflects a rising dissatisfaction among commuters, who believe that the premium they pay for AC train services does not represent the quality of service provided. The trains' erratic performance is prompting travellers to reconsider their alternatives, resulting in overcrowding on already congested non-AC trains.

Maintenance and safety concerns

One of the other issues raised by the commuters is the maintenance of the AC trains. There have been incidents of malfunctioning of air conditioning systems and other features.

Ruhi told mid-day.com, "Every compartment has a button that helps them connect to the motorman; however, it never functions. Once my train was held up for over 20 minutes between Borivali and Dahisar due to a technical issue, we tried to speak to the motorman and understand the issue, but in vain."

She also added that the AC in some trains can get too cold leading to causing passengers "to freeze".

Communication with railway authorities

The Pravasi Sangh has not been idle in dealing with these persistent concerns. The group has often expressed its concerns to railway officials, but members claim the reaction has been less than sufficient. According to Pravasi Sangh leaders, while the railways have acknowledged some of the difficulties, concrete steps to rectify them have been sluggish to come.

Desai, speaking to mid-day.com, said, "The commuters tag Pravasi Sangh and authorities from railways and share their grievances with Railway Seva through X (formerly Twitter). The officials say that a ticket has been raised but there's no follow up."

There's a need to see faster and more effective responses to these problems, the commuters said.

Siddhesh Desai further added that the authorities in Mumbai who overlook the suburban train operations also manage the freight train operations. It is often, he said, that local train services are delayed due to freight train schedules.

"Running the suburban network and the freight train network needs different expertise. Most officials who come in end up prioritising freight operations and ignoring the needs of Mumbaikars using the suburban railway network," Desai said.

When asked what does he think authorities should address issues, he said, "The officials do not have answers to our queries. When we raise issues, they say they don't have the infrastructure bandwidth to control issues like overcrowding and ticketless travelling. If they have a set number of ticket-checkers, they cannot be omnipresent. And all their resources cannot diverted just towards AC locals."

Looking ahead: What commuters want

When asked if the Pravasi Sangh has plans to protest, Desai said that the commuters of AC locals have been demanding better quality of services which justifies the higher price of ticket they pay for.

The commuters mid-day spoke to echoed similar thoughts and said that they want the Western and Central Railway to add more AC local services and that the officials can come regularly for ticket checking drives.

Prabhas told mid-day, "I hope that they work on increasing the number of AC trains and try to avoid delays as much as possible."

While Karan added, "I would like to see more ticket checks, better AC maintenance, and more frequent AC trains to reduce the crowd and improve reliability."

Also Read: Overcrowding, accidents, technical snags: What's the solution to Mumbai commuters' woes?