Mumbai local trains see highest ridership since pandemic onset

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The pre-covid ridership was around 80 lakh a day.

According to government data, Central Railway had an average daily ridership of 30.84 lakh in February.  It has reached 35.89 lakh just by March 16.

Western Railway had an average daily ridership of 24.78 lakh in February. And as of March 16, it is at 27.14 lakh per day.

Western Railway and Central Railway respectively run 1,375 and 1,810 local train services each day.

Daily ridership on the Mumbai suburban network fell to almost 10-15 lakh, or even lower, after the Covid-19 outbreak in March 2020 and the subsequent restrictions imposed by the state government.

After the lockdown, only essential service workers, including government staffers and health professionals, were allowed to board the trains.

On August 8, 2021, Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced the reopening of train services from August 15 for those who were fully vaccinated and had completed 14 days after receiving the second dose.

According to the official, passenger numbers remained low — in line with vaccination coverage.

Explaining the rise in ridership, the official said most citizens in Mumbai and neighbouring cities have now been vaccinated. He added that students, who were not vaccinated, have been allowed by the state to travel in trains.

According to Maharashtra government numbers till March 16, almost 98 per cent of adults have been vaccinated in Mumbai, 87 per cent in Raigad, 74 per cent in Thane and 79 per cent in Palghar.

“Ridership on Mumbai suburban trains is getting closer to the pre-Covid time even though many companies have a work-from-home policy. It is a sign that passengers are returning and the workforce is back in the city,” said another official, adding that the number is likely to increase after the new academic year begins.

“The trains have started getting crowded as it used to be before Covid and people have started travelling as they have to go to work and earn for their livelihood. There is also a possibility that the number of passengers is higher than what it is on record with the authorities since there are thousands of unvaccinated or single vaccinated people who are travelling without ticket,” said Rajesh Ghanghav, a member of the Karjat Kasara Passenger Association. “We demand that the people who have taken just a single dose should also be allowed to buy tickets and travel.”