Delayed Mumbai Local: Women Risk Lives Hanging from Overcrowded Train
9 May 2025 5:02 PM IST9 May 2025 5:02 PM IST
Videos and posts flooded social media.
Repeated delays leave thousands stranded, frustrated, and vulnerable.
It was another weekday for women commuters in Mumbai boarding the "Ladies Special" from Kalyan—until it wasn't. Delayed by 40 minutes, the train turned the platform into a crowd trap, with overflowing compartments and many women clinging to the footboard, making the commute dangerously unsafe.
Videos and posts flooded social media, showing women hanging precariously on the train's edges, risking their lives to get to work. The situation isn't new, but this morning, it struck a deeper nerve.
Railways call footboard travel "dangerous" and urge commuters to avoid it. But with unpredictable delays and few alternatives, what choice do people have? Mumbai's trains are a lifeline, and when they falter, working-class women bear the brunt.
A local passenger group flagged the issue on X, tagging Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw, urging immediate action: acknowledge the problem, fix delays, and prioritize safety, especially for women relying on the Ladies Special.
This isn't about one late train. Repeated delays leave thousands stranded, frustrated, and vulnerable. Despite the railway system's remarkable job under pressure, these issues highlight the urgent need for better planning, timely services, and accountability.
In Mumbai, where every minute matters, a 40-minute delay isn't just an inconvenience—it's a danger.
Written by: Sanjana Singh, Intern.
( Source : Deccan Chronicle )
Next Story