Mumbai: Days ahead of the ‘white-day’ protest proposed for August 22 by the representatives of railway passenger organisations, a crucial meeting with the Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of Central Railway’s Mumbai division ended without any resolution on Wednesday.
The representatives will proceed with their peaceful Gandhigiri protest (with black bands on white clothes) over overcrowded trains, frequent delays, and insufficient services during peak hours.
About The Assurance Given By DRM Rajnish Goyal
Despite the deadlock, DRM Rajnish Goyal assured the representatives that the railway administration would try to address as many of their demands as possible “within feasible limits”. Speaking to the FPJ, he appealed for the planned agitation to be withdrawn. He, however, positively responded to the demand for new stations at Gurvali and Parsik.
The three-hour meeting was attended by several organisations under the leadership of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh. The organisation’s secretary Siddesh Desai said they are trying to organise a meeting with Chief Minister Eknath Shinde and Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw to discuss their grievances. Besides, they have also invited citizens, Ganpati mandals, Dahihandi mandals, NGOs, and local societies to join the movement for the ‘right to safe and efficient travel’.
Desai said that passengers raised several critical issues during the meeting. He added, “Different passengers associations expressed their dissatisfaction with the introduction of new long-distance trains over the past two years, even as the number of local services have remained the same. Even infrastructure meant for local trains is being used by long-distance services, limiting the number of local trains despite the addition of two extra lines between Thane and Diva in February 2022.”
Statement Of Passenger Activists Present At The Meeting
Passenger activists present at the meeting said that Goyal explained the challenges faced by the railway administration, such as limited infrastructure, space constraints, and delays in land acquisition and fund transfers from the state government. However, passenger groups questioned why other major projects, like the 512km Samruddhi Mahamarg, were completed, while the Kalwa-Airoli Link, a project of only 3 km, remains in limbo.
Desai said they have also requested the implementation of a ‘Code Red’ procedure for suburban trains during peak hours, which would allow rakes to use tracks currently reserved for long-distance trains. This request was also rejected by the DRM, who cited resource limitations which are affecting services on Diva-Thane, Thane-Kasara and ThaneKarjat routes.
