Online train bookings for a Ganapati special train on Friday morning opened 50 minutes before time, creating confusion amid allegations of fraud among commuters. About 135 tickets were booked for three dates before 8 am for train number 09007 that is being planned to run between Mumbai Central-Thivim via Konkan Railway from August 6. The railways have initiated action against the guilty for the error and chargesheeted a railway employee for this.

A senior official said as per the procedure, at the time of feeding the details of the trains the opening date was entered in the system for 8 trains as 20.7.2018. However, database staff erroneously entered the date of opening for train no.09007 as 20.7.2017 instead of 20.7.2018. The data entry is done at Mumbai Passenger Reservation System situated at CSMT.