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Thousands of Mumbai commuters staged a "White Wear" protest today, donning white clothes and black ribbons to draw attention to critical safety concerns plaguing the city's suburban rail network. Organized by ten prominent commuter organizations, the protest underscores the daily dangers faced by passengers, with alarming reports indicating that 7-8 lives are lost on Mumbai's railway tracks each day. The protesters are calling for immediate action, including prioritizing local trains during peak hours, restricting express services on newly constructed tracks, and expediting long-delayed infrastructure projects like the Kalwa- Airoli rail link.Despite Mumbai's status as India's commercial capital and its residents being among the highest taxpayers in the country, commuters argue that the suburban rail system has failed to keep pace with the city's growing needs.Key demands put forth by the protesting organizations include:· Prioritizing local trains over mail and express services during morning and evening peak hours.· Restricting newly constructed tracks (specifically the Kurla to Kalyan and Thane to Diva tracks) to local train use only, with immediate cessation of mail and express train operations on these lines.· Expediting long-stalled infrastructure projects, including the Airoli Link Road. Protesters are demanding that the Mumbai Rail Vikas Corporation (MRVC) announce firm completion dates for the stalled projects.· Implementing a "Code Red" system for service disruptions due to mechanical breakdowns, technical issues, or derailments. This would involve releasing additional local trains onto tracks typically reserved for mail trains during such emergencies.· Establishing a unified "Transport for Mumbai" (ToM) authority to oversee and coordinate all local rail services, including Central Railway, Western Railway, Harbour, Trans Harbour, and MRVC operations.The protest has garnered support from various commuter groups, including the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh, Upnagariy Railway Pravasi Mahasangh, and Thane Railway Pravasi Sangh, among others.Madhu Kotian and Siddesh Desai of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh told LokmatTimes.com, "The Thane-Diva 5-6 tracks project was successfully completed in February 2022. However, CR authorities operate long-distance trains, holiday specials, and freight trains on the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth lines instead of completely switching over to tracks five and six. Mumbai railway commuters don't need AC trains and colorful stations; they need additional tracks and EMUs for safe travel, timely projects and local services, metro-like entry and exit points, platform shelters, and police presence."Adesh Bhagat of Diva Pravasi Sanghatna and Railway activist Vandana Sonavane told LokmatTimes.com, "We are protesting by wearing white clothes today so that CR takes note of our suggestions. For many years, we have been demanding that 15-car local trains should be introduced instead of 12-car trains during peak hours. The platform lengths should be adjusted accordingly. We want the introduction of local trains from Diva towards CSMT."Karjat Commuters Caught Between Delays and OvercrowdingVidya Dagade, a non-teaching staff member at a Kalwa school, shared her challenging daily commute from Karjat to Kalwa. "I need to travel through express trains like Pragati Express as the frequency of locals from Karjat is very low. We have to wait for 1 hour for local trains, so we don't have any option other than to travel by express," Dagade explained. She highlighted the situation many commuters face: "If we wait for 1 hour, the locals are totally overcrowded. But certain express trains like Deccan Express don't halt at Karjat in the morning."Dagade's journey doesn't end at Thane. "From Thane, I have to go by rickshaw to Kalwa," she added, emphasizing the need for better connectivity. "Shuttle services would help us," she suggested, echoing the sentiments of many commuters who navigate complex, multi-leg journeys daily.Manisha Surve, a commuter from Karjat and railway activist Neela Bhagwat emphasized the need for more frequent services during peak hours, suggesting, "Especially during morning and evening rush hours, 15-car local trains should run every 15 minutes. Some of these should be ladies' special trains to ensure working women can travel safely."

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