Commuters write to Western Railway authorities complaining of frequent delays in the 7.43 am fast train leaving Bhayandar; leads to half-days and salary cuts for many
Commuters with their signature campaign
Regular delays in the Bhayandar-Churchgate morning local train has led to hundreds of daily commuters launching a signature campaign against it. A letter in this regard was submitted to the station master at Bhayandar along with senior Western Railway officials at Churchgate.
In the one-page letter, submitted in both English and Hindi, commuters have highlighted how the delay in the train's arrival has a cascading effect on their day's schedules, especially for daily wage employees. Others too have complained of mostly getting half-day attendance at work causing salary cuts every month end.
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The torch-bearer of this signature campaign, Godwin D'cruz, said, "I have been travelling in the Bhayandar-Churchgate train since 1990. I board it at 7:43am from Bhayandar and it is expected to arrive at Churchgate at 8:44am." The sales trainer at an automobile company told mid-day, "In the last year though, it has been reaching Churchgate late by 20-25 minutes every day."
An official at Bhayandar railway station told mid-day that the local train, after undergoing its daily maintenance, gets placed at the station at 7:15am every day. D'cruz, however, said, "Our fast local gets delayed at Bhayandar itself as preference is given to locals arriving from Virar. This local gets delayed at least thrice a week. Also, passengers from Virar-Borivli slow trains jump onto our fast local resulting in overcrowding," the Mira Road resident said.
'Advance timing by few mins'
"The train does not leave Bhayandar station at 7:43 am; it is delayed approaching Andheri or Bandra enroute and is changed to the slow track regularly; reaches Churchgate station sometimes at 9/9:05am and even at 9:10am," the commuters' letter to railway officials states. Around 200 commuters have urged authorities to "reschedule the timing of local train to 7:35am so that commuters can reach Churchgate before 9 am."
Salary cuts and memos for commuters
Bhayandar-resident Subhash Shetty boarding Churchgate fast daily runs a canteen in Nariman point. "I have to open the canteen before 9 am as most office-goers throng my canteen for tea and snacks. Since I always get late, my customers have to suffer. Many of them have stopped coming to my canteen," Shetty said, adding, "This is embarrassing as my boss yells at me. I have been issued memos, have had my casual leaves deducted and salary cuts," added Shetty.
A senior manager at a multi-national company, Rajeev Sharma, too faces similar woes. "My office is in Fort and I am bound to report to work at 9am but I get delayed at least thrice a week. How many times should I request my seniors to understand? My casual leave has been deducted and so is my salary," Sharma said.
Senior WR PRO, Gajanan Mahaputkar, said, "We will check the contents of the letter and our authorities will try to sort this out at the earliest." When contacted, Additional Divisional Railway Manager (Operations) Kushal Singh seemed to have no time for commuters' issues. He refused to comment, saying, "I am busy at a puja and can't talk."
200
No. of signatories to the letter
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