Chaos and crowds on platforms and inside Mumbai local trains as 256 Western Railway services cancelled

MUMBAI: Chaos and crowds on platforms and inside trains. This was the scene at most Western Railway (WR) stations on Friday, despite the planned cancellation of 256 suburban train services due to the work undertaken for commissioning of the sixth line between Khar and Goregaon.
Many commuters posted videos of crowded platforms and trains on social media as the cancellations resulted in poor frequency of services.Dahisar resident Suyash Rane said, "I had to wait for more than 30 minutes at the station before I boarded a train for Dadar around 1.30pm." A few commuters complained that WR made last-minute cancellations which inconvenienced them. "The 12.04pm AC local was ab-ruptly cancelled and the announcement was made at 12.30pm," said a commuter at Borivli station.
Earlier this week, WR had announced that 2,525 services would be cancelled between October 27 and November 5 for the construction of the sixth line between Khar and Goregaon stations. The work started on October 7.
A WR spokesperson said that train cancellation announcements are being made at all stations. As many as 359 Railway Protection Force (RPF) and 178 Government Railway Police personnel have been deployed 24x7 on platforms and foot over-bridges for crowd regulation to avoid a stampede-like situation. RPF personnel have also been posted at yards to guard the stabled rakes.