Mumbai Local Trains Update: You Can Travel From Feb In 3 Fixed Slots

In a major relief to Mumbaikars travelling across the city for work, the Maharashtra State government has announced that it will resume the Mumbai local train services for the general public from February 1. But this relief comes with strict timings as per the new Mission Begin Again guidelines issued on January 29.

Citizens who were previously not allowed to use the city's lifeline, can board the local in three stipulated time slots. From the first local on the Central, Harbour and Western line to 7 am, every citizen can use the local to reach their destination. The next two permissible time slots are between 12pm-4pm and post 9pm. This effectively means that the local train services are available for all passengers between 9 pm to 7 am.

The railways will only render its services to people recognised as essential staff between 7am-11 am, and 4pm- 9pm, in what are believed to be the peak hours for passengers traveling for work. General public will not be allowed to use the services in these periods. Both the Central and Western Railways increased the number of services running to and fro the city on January 29.

To ensure that there is less crowding, as the city is still grappling with COVID-19, the state government is requesting public and private offices to stagger their timings for calling employees. Offices and establishments are requested to operate with 30% staff.

The government is also permitting shops and restaurants to open till 11pm and 1am respectively.

Currently, only persons carrying official government ids along with health workers are permitted to travel across the day in the trains. Women who are not a part of the previous category were permitted to travel between 11am-3pm and 7pm till the last local, October onwards. In the same month, the railway authorities also permitted practising lawyers and registered clerks of advocates to travel in local trains during the same hours as women but later were even allowed to travel in the morning. They even allowed teachers, as well as non-teaching school staff, to board trains in November.