Introduction

Local train services are the life line of Mumbai metro city. It’s so called coz, it is passing thru the heart of the city and most convenient for traveling. 3 lines are there in Mumbai. 1. Central Line, it is the main line, 2. Western Line and 3. Harbour Line. Central line and harbour line are controlled by Central Railway. Western line is controlled by Western Railway division. All the main lines ( express train servicecs ) are ending and starts at Chathrapathi Shivaji Terminus (CST) (erstwhile known as VT – Victoria Terminus ) and in Western Line at Mumbai Central. Both Central and Harbour lines are starting from CST. Harbour lines splits from Wadal and one division ends at Andheri and other ends at Panvel (an outskirts of Mumbai city). Central line starts from VT and splits from Kalyan and one division ends at Karjat (near Lonavla) and other line ends at Kasara (near Nasik). Western line starts from Churchgate station and ends at Virar (around 60km long).

Train identifications

These trains are bearing 3 different type of passenger class. One is second class, ie for general passengers, another one is First class and ladies coach. It is very easy to identify these coaches. General coaches doesn’t have any special indications. For ladies, either symbol of a lady near to the door or written there as ladies coach and there would be a mix of white and green lines on the coach to identify. If there would be a mix of white and red lines, it indicates it is a first class coach. Moreover, inside first class coach is mostly painted with green color. At station also we can identify where these coaches comes on platform. For that some indications you can see on this beams of any stands of the platform, which indicates these coaches will come in that position. There are two types of trains. One is 12 coaches (800 meter long) and other one is 9 coaches (600 meter long). There is always four tracks in the main lines, out of which 2 tracks always running towards Churchgate or VT (up side) line and the other one is in opposite side. Two running types of trains are there. One is fast train which will stop only particular / main stations and runs on max speed of 80km and the other one is slow train, which halts at all stations. In all stations, generally at platform no. 1 and 2, slow train comes while 3 and 4 uses for fast train. Platform no. 1 and 3 generally uses for down-side trains while the other two uses for up-side trains to travel.

Know the codes

Each stations, there are some code words, which indicates the train is going to which station and where all it stops and not. Some common codes are as follows:

These are the some of the codes, shows in the stations to indicate the train going to which destination. Beside the indicator, there is another one, which describes, whether the train is fast or not. If fast train, at Central line, it shows the stations, where the train going to halt and at Western line, it shows the stations, where the train is not going to halt. Apart from this, railway now introduced the IV (interactive voice) systems and displays in trains, which announces that where this train is going to and which all station is going to halt and what is the upcoming station etc. But this system is not fully operational on all trains, but most of the trains bearing.

The heaviest rush trains are running at Western line and it is always being packed at both directions, even in the last train from Churchgate at 1:30 am. All the above said things may be known to everybody. But some of the things going to say below may be new and / or made by the passengers for their own convenient.

Rules to be followed……

These are the rules to be known and must be followed by the passengers who are traveling in the local trains of Mumbai. These rules are applicable, especially to the Western railway passengers, which are made and followed by the passengers.

There are no specific rules to be followed by the general (second) class and luggage coach passengers. Because, in second class, people are rushing madly to get into the train and they tried worst to get out of the train. Only one thing is, there is some group, who will always do “bhajana” for necessary or unnecessary to disturb the other passengers. It’s not praising God, but only for showing others. The maximum no of people can stand in the door step is 6 in second class. I am sorry to say, I don’t have any idea about the ladies coach. But, there are some groups in ladies coach too, which won’t allow others to stand in the door step or stand as stumbling block for others to get inside the coach.

General things about First Class passengers…

These rules are applicable to both slow and fast trains of the Western line. Very first thing to know about the First Class passengers are, by behavior, they are the most manners less people in the city (not all but 90% people). They wear white clothes, but their mind always works for devil. They praise God to every time, but they never give a hand to the poor one. By mistake, if you try to get into or gets into the First Class coach, everybody says together to you, “This is special coach, you will be fined”. All are talking to help you, but the way to talk is like they try to avoid you, as a lower class people. There is so much partiality between passengers who travels in First Class compartment. Major one is, priority of community, especially it happens in Gujarathis. Another one is a group or the travelers mate, third one are play card mates. The community priority can be divided into two types in Gujarathi case. One is, those who are vegetarians and others are non-vegetarians. It can be called by behavioral too. Anyway, in Gujarathi’s they are together, especially in the matter of ladies. All sounds are same in that case and enjoys together, even it is between father and son. The solid examples are; if you get into the train from Borivli to Churchgate and it is a fast train, you didn’t get a seat to sit, if it is a vegetarian Gujarathi is sitting there, he won’t even give you that seat to sit, until his stop comes. But if a non-Gujju is there, he may give you the seat, if he is alone and/or in his usual gang. You don’t expect anything from these guys, and have to stand the full 1hr journey in train. If you are standing in the train, and there is no space to move, even not an inch to keep your feet properly, by mistake if your hand or anything touched other’s body, if he is a good guy, he won’t say anything, only try to adjust. If he is a bad guy, he will start scold you. The dictionary less words starts from English and if you have that much energy to resist him, it will ends upto the station one of them gets down and will end in the local language. If the scolded guy sees the same thing on another’s case, he says, so sad to see these in the people. But if it comes to his case, he never gives up. So, when you in First Class coach, be careful to all your action.

For First Class passengers :- Downward (towards virar) direction

The rush behavior of the train are, a very little rush comes from Charni Rd. station, average rush (according to Mumbai crowd) comes from Dadar and very large rush from Andheri and Borivli stations. Consider to all these, the people who tries to get from Andheri are generally called by the First Class people is, “beasts of Andheri”. They are so called, because the way they are trying to get into the train while going to home.

The maximum no of people are traveling in the door step is 4. If somebody tries to stand there more than that, at special cases, others allow otherwise, push him either out or in. While traveling in Virar or Borivli fast train, at left side of the train, the first two persons always stand upto Borivli or Dahisar (unless one guy gets down at dadar) and won’t move even huge rushes come from Dadar and sometimes from Borivli or Andheri to Borivli (if Virar train, running slow from Andheri). The persons next to them, inside the train, should be strong person, so that he must have to hold all the pressures come from Andheri upto Borivli and should not disturb these gentlemen, unless the pressure is heavy to very heavy. At the right side, from front side, two persons will stand and they will open that place to public, only when the train reaches at Andheri station. So, those who want to get down at Andheri can stand next to them inside the train. Others, those who want to get down at Bandra should have to move the other part of the door and should get down before train fully stops at the station. Otherwise, you can get down at the last station, or at next station, if you have luck. The advantage of the Dahisar guys are, they have to suffer little rush at left side and can easily get down at the station, without disturbing anybody. But the competition for door step place is very high, than any other place.

General comments to about the western line, especially from Andheri to Dadar traveling are; if you are traveling in second class compartment with a well dress and had deodorant/perfume applied, and gets into train from Andheri and tries to get down at Dadar (Andheri always comes at Left side and Dadar comes at Right side of the station), you will become sandwiched and would have the dirty smell of others body odor. By the same time, if you didn’t have time to have bath in the morning and dressed not well and still smells out the bad body odor, and you travels from Andheri to Dadar in first class coach, when you gets out at Dadar station, you will be smelled with different fragrance of perfumes that applied in others body.

Upward (towards Churchgate) direction

The rules are same as mentioned above, only difference is the side of the train, which comes at Andheri. The door will be opened fully at Andheri only. If somebody tries to get into the train from Borivli in a Virar fast train to Churchage, you are fired! Even many Mira Road peoples travel to Borivli by bus and take their train to office in the morning hours.

Moreover, you can learn different type of characters, behaviours and many things in the first class coach. If you are a good observer, you can understand how each class of people behaves and their children do. You can learn very few good things and lots of bad things from First Class Compartment.

Appeal to the reader: I written this article, in my own way and from my daily experience on Mumbai local. I am so sorry, if any words of this article hurts anybody by any means. I hope this guide may help everybody at some level and invites comments and suggestions to improve the article to the best.