Anger boiled over against air-conditioned (AC) local trains at Virar during the morning rush hour on Monday, with commuters jumping onto rail tracks against the newly introduced 8.28 am AC local train, questioning the need for such a train just five minutes ahead of the Virar-Churchgate AC local at 8.33 am. However, Western Railway (WR) officials said the 8.28 am AC train ran full even with ticket checking onboard, which indicated a need for this additional local train service.

Chaos at Virar

There was chaos at Virar station after the regular 8.28 am Virar-Churchgate local was converted into an AC service, triggering a massive protest by commuters who poured onto the railway tracks and brought train movement to a halt. A handful of passengers blocked the train, shouting slogans against Western Railway authorities. The switch from a non-AC local train to an AC service sparked immediate outrage among daily commuters who depend on affordable travel.