346 Mumbai local trains to ferry govt staff from today

MUMBAI: After nearly three months, the city's lifeline will be restored today. As reported by TOI in its lead story on Sunday, Western Railway and Central Railway will resume select suburban services for essential staff working in state government bodies.
A total of 346 services will run daily, including 146 on the WR, 130 on the CR main line and 70 on the Harbour line and ferry 1.25 lakh passengers. Normally, 3,000 local trains ferry nearly 80 lakh people daily.
Chief minister Uddhav Thackeray had been pressing for resumption of local services for essential staff. A meeting was held on Sunday between railway officials from Mumbai, the BMC and police to work out the modalities of running the services. Sources said the trains will halt only at stations where fast trains halt. On the Harbour line, halts will be at major stations. Buses will ferry passengers from the stations to their work places.
The train services are likely to start around 5.30 am; the last train will be around 11.30 pm from CSMT/Churchgate for down direction. The trains will operate every 15-20 minutes. Each train will carry 700 passengers as against the seating capacity of 1,200 to maintain social distancing.
There will be two-tier scrutiny of passengers. BMC will be the nodal agency to issue e-passes to the passengers involved in essential service for agencies like the police, BEST, Mantralaya etc. The e-pass, which will work like an identity card, will contain all the details of the passenger. The Railways has also resolved the issue of tickets. A railway board circular stated it has been decided to extend the validity of the season tickets to the extent of days lost due to the lockdown. "The same shall be permitted at the UTS counters at stations to those permitted by state government. UTS counters may also issue fresh tickets/season tickets to persons permitted by the government of Maharashtra."