Western Railway Deploys Marshals at Mumbai AC Local Stations

New Crowd Management Plan Aims to Reduce Delays in Mumbai AC Local Services

Mumbai’s Western Railway is introducing a new crowd management strategy by deploying marshals at some of the busiest suburban railway stations during peak travel hours. The move is aimed at improving the punctuality of air-conditioned (AC) local trains, which have recently been facing frequent delays due to overcrowding and longer boarding times.

Railway officials believe that better passenger management at station platforms will help reduce unnecessary delays and keep AC local train services running closer to schedule.

Overcrowding Slowing Down AC Local Train Operations

According to Western Railway officials, AC local trains are now carrying far more passengers than they were originally designed to handle, especially during office rush hours.

Unlike regular suburban trains, AC local trains operate with automatic doors that remain closed while the train is moving. During busy hours, passengers often take extra time to board and exit, preventing the doors from closing quickly. This extends station halt times and causes delays that affect the entire train schedule.

To address the issue, marshals will be deployed at selected high-traffic stations. Their responsibility will be to guide passengers, prevent crowding near the doors, and ensure that train doors close without unnecessary delays.

Thousands of Local Trains Recently Reported Running Late

Western Railway’s operational data highlights the growing challenge of maintaining punctual suburban services.

On June 23, the railway operated 1,414 suburban train services, but 1,404 of them experienced delays of varying durations.

Among these:

• 269 trains were delayed by one to three minutes.
• 349 services ran four to five minutes behind schedule.
• 78 trains were delayed by more than five minutes.
• One train recorded a delay of over 30 minutes.

Although railway rules classify delays of up to five minutes as "on time," many daily commuters say repeated delays have become a regular inconvenience for the nearly 3 to 3.2 million passengers who depend on Mumbai’s suburban railway network every day.

Marshals to Help Speed Up Boarding During Rush Hours

Railway authorities said the marshals will mainly be stationed at heavily crowded stations during morning and evening peak hours.

Their duties will include:

• Helping passengers board and exit faster.
• Preventing people from standing near train doors.
• Ensuring automatic doors close on time.
• Reducing extended station stoppages that disrupt train schedules.

Officials believe this initiative will improve train punctuality without making changes to the existing timetable.

No Immediate Plan to Add More AC Local Train Services

Despite increasing passenger demand for air-conditioned suburban trains, Western Railway has clarified that there is currently no proposal to introduce additional AC local services.

Instead, officials are focusing on improving the efficiency of existing operations through better passenger management and crowd control.

Ticketless Travel Continues to Be a Major Challenge

Along with overcrowding, ticketless travel remains another major concern for Western Railway.

During May, ticket-checking teams detected 18,305 cases of passengers traveling without valid tickets in AC local trains. The railway recovered ₹56.02 lakh through penalties and excess fare charges.

Officials said this is the highest number of ticketless travel cases recorded since AC suburban services began. The figure also represents a massive 323% increase compared to May last year.

Passengers Demand Better Enforcement and Improved Facilities

Daily commuters say overcrowding inside AC local trains now feels almost the same as regular suburban services.

Rajiv Singhal, a daily passenger from Dahisar, said railway authorities should increase ticket-checking staff to stop unauthorized passengers, vendors, and beggars from entering AC coaches. He also pointed out that passengers frequently face inconsistent air-conditioning, with coaches sometimes becoming either too cold or not cooling properly.

Experts Call for Long-Term Solutions Beyond Marshals

Commuter activist Subhash Gupta welcomed the decision to deploy marshals but believes the measure will only provide temporary relief.

According to him, Western Railway should also focus on increasing the passenger carrying capacity of AC local trains and strengthening action against ticketless travel. These long-term improvements, he said, would provide a more sustainable solution for Mumbai’s growing suburban railway demand.

Western Railway Looks to Improve Daily Commute

As passenger numbers continue to rise across Mumbai’s suburban rail network, Western Railway is taking practical steps to improve train punctuality and reduce delays. While the deployment of marshals may help manage crowds more efficiently, commuters hope that additional infrastructure improvements, stronger ticket enforcement, and expanded capacity will eventually provide a smoother and more comfortable travel experience for millions of daily passengers.