Air conditioned local train commuters of Central Railway demanding services of AC local on all 7 days in a week. Currently Central Railway runs AC services only on week days i.e. between Monday to Saturday. Apart from that on national holidays CR also operate local services as per Sunday time table hence AC local services are not available. However spokesperson of CR said, "At the time of issuing notification of the air-conditioned local trains, it was duly notified that air-conditioned local services will not run on Sunday as well as on national Holidays."
Currently CR operates around five dozens air conditioned services daily on weekdays (Monday to Saturday). On an average around 20,000 travelers using cool services of CR on daily basis, most of them are pass holders.
Sources said that Railway staff is included in national holidays. Hence there is lesser staff to operate trains. In result CR follow the Sunday pattern on the national holidays also i.e. around 250 less services are available on these days.
"Even after paying for one month's pass charges for AC local, commuters forced to travel in normal local on Sunday or. AC locals should run on Sundays also, as many Mumbaikars traveling on Sundays as well as on government holidays," said Siddhesh Desai, General Secretary, Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.
"Trains are not working on holidays is a big issue. When passes are issued and charges are taken for a month, do railways give discount on days when AC local is not running ?? No (They don't). Then why AC trains are not working on public holidays? Does public holiday mean, we should not travel by AC local?" said Nisha Nair, a season ticket holder of AC local, who frequently travels between Dombivli to Currey Road. She has been traveling in AC local since January and she regularly purchases monthly season tickets of AC train. Private sector employees does not have off on all public holidays, what about them?" she asked.
"If Western railway can operate their AC services of all seven days, then why not central railway? It seems Central Railway is least bothered about their premium customers," said Lata Argade, secretary of the Suburban Railway Passengers Association.
"Either return money of the pass holders for days when AC local is not operational or start AC locals on daily basis without any hinderance," demanded Lata to the Central Railway authorities.
"This age old practices are supposed to be changed with time. Number of commuters/services/private companies are increased. But railway continues to work with old practices. This is the exact problem. Everything in world changes with time, CR also needs to change its old pattern," said Hemkant Paradkar another AC pass holder of Dombivali, who frequently commute up to CSMT.
