Mumbai: Central Railway commuters are facing growing frustration over delays in suburban services, with regular passengers alleging that the Kalyan–CSMT local scheduled to leave at 8.46 am frequently reaches its destination nearly two hours late. The prolonged journey is affecting office-goers who depend on the train to reach work on time, while repeated cancellations and delays during peak hours have added to the pressure on an already crowded network.
Passengers Say 8.46 AM Local Delay Has Become Regular Issue
Passengers travelling by the 8.46 am local said the delay has become a recurring problem rather than an isolated incident. They alleged that the train often reaches Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) about two hours behind schedule, leaving them with little time to reach their workplaces after getting off the train. Regular commuters said the disruption is affecting their daily work, office timings and, in some cases, their attendance. Frustrated by the repeated delays, passengers questioned the motorman at CSMT station, seeking answers over the prolonged journey and the lack of a reliable timetable.
Central Railway said the Karjat–CSMT train reached CSMT today at 10.13 am, 21 minutes late. Its normal running time is around 1 hour 10 minutes. The train had reached Kalyan around seven minutes late. The total time mentioned may have been calculated from another station, as the journey from Kalyan to CSMT usually takes around an hour.
Thane Services Also Face Delays And Cancellations
The concerns come amid wider disruption on the Central Railway suburban network. At Thane, the 9.08 am local to CSMT departed at 9.20 am on Tuesday, while passengers said the train took 1 hour 37 minutes to reach its destination. On Monday, the 9.08 am local was cancelled, the 9 am service departed at 9.11 am and the 9.16 am local left at 9.24 am. Passengers said such disruptions increase crowding in subsequent services and make it difficult for office-goers to plan their journeys.
“The disruption is directly affecting passengers, but there is no clear accountability,” said Lata Argade, president of the Suburban Railway Passengers’ Federation. She said the administration had attributed the disruption to ongoing platform extension work, but argued that passenger organisations should have been consulted before the work began so that alternative arrangements could have been planned. She also called for state government assistance, saying the disruption was causing financial and social losses to ordinary commuters.
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