Escalating Temperatures Drive Mumbai Commuters to Opt for AC Local Trains
Mumbai, 3rd April 2024: The relentless climb in temperatures is palpably reflected in the burgeoning crowds flocking to the air-conditioned (AC) train compartments. Western Railway (WR) reported a notable surge in sales, issuing 3,561 season passes and 23,623 journey tickets for AC trains on April 1st alone, marking a substantial uptick.
Comparatively, these figures surpass the average daily sales recorded for February and March this year. Daily averages for February stood at 1,431 season passes and 17,922 journey tickets, which slightly increased in March to 1,452 season passes and 17,981 tickets, as confirmed by an official on Tuesday.
“As summer unfolds, a significant portion of passengers opts for AC local travel,” remarked a WR official, shedding light on the seasonal trend.
The mercury hit a high of 34.2 degrees Celsius in the city on Monday, further incentivizing commuters to seek respite within the cool confines of AC train compartments. Presently, Western Railway operates eight AC suburban locals, boasting a total of 96 AC services along the Churchgate-Virar route from Monday to Friday. However, weekend schedules see a reduction to 53 services.
Nevertheless, the burgeoning ridership poses challenges for railway operations. Notably, peak hours witness overcrowding in AC locals, necessitating the deployment of Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel or other railway staff to manually close automatic doors for safety reasons.
