(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) A motorman in one of the trains heading to CST got injured which led to a flash strike by other motormen resulting in complete disruption of services.
The first working day of the New Year began on a violent note in Mumbai with hundreds of irate railway commuters blocking railway tracks damaging ticket vending machines and booking counters and setting a few vehicles aflame.
Trouble began in the morning around 7.30 when suburban services between Kalyan and Thane were disrupted after some overhead cables snapped. Angry commuters began pelting stones at fast trains that were going on the other tracks.
A motorman in one of the trains heading to CST got injured which led to a flash strike by other motormen resulting in complete disruption of services. Hundreds of commuters then got on to the railway tracks blocking the movement of other trains.
Some miscreants also attacked the automatic ticket vending machines and booking counters at Diva railway station.
Three cars that were parked outside the station were set aflame.
The police then caned the mob even as commuters at other stations on the mainline of the Central Railway began stoning trains and damaging railway property.
About a dozen rakes were damaged in the agitation which went on for a few hours till the afternoon.
The authorities then promised to provide protection to the motormen who operate the trains which resulted in their calling off the strike. Services were restored later in the afternoon though many of the damaged trains were pulled out of operations.
A Central Railway spokesman claimed that services on both the mainline and the harbour line were operating normally by evening. Railway minister Suresh Prabhu who is from Mumbai admitted that millions of commuters faced problems while travelling by suburban trains because of inadequate services.
He said he would discuss with Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to hammer out a solution to the perennial problems of suburban commuters.
Fadnavis said he had discussed the matter with Prabhu and the state government and the railways would look into the reasons for the frequent disruption in services.
About seven million commuters travel daily on Mumbai’s suburban services on both the Central and Western railways.
Frequent breakdown in services because of aging rakes unreliable overhead cables and accidents erratic announcements by the officials and a failure to coordinate the services lead to chaotic situations.
nithinkhaleejtimes.com
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