Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw on Friday travelled by a local train, the lifeline of lakhs of Mumbaikars, and chatted up with commuters.
Mr Vaishnaw boarded the suburban train at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus in south Mumbai at 2.34 pm and alighted at Bhandup station at 3.18 pm after his 27 km-long journey.
Railway officials said Mr Vaishnaw, who was in the city for an awards ceremony, boarded a second class coach of the Ambernath-bound slow local train.
While interacting with the minister, commuters sought increase in the number of services and expressed concern over frequent disruptions.
Speaking to mediapersons on board the train, the Union minister said 12 projects underway in Mumbai metropolitan region costing Rs 16,240 crore will add 301 kilometres of tracks to the network, among the densest in the world, and go a long way in improving commuter experience.
The projects include the 5th and 6th lines between CSMT-Kurla, 6th line between Mumbai Central-Borivali, 4th line between Kalyan-Asangaon, 3rd and 4th lines between Kalyan-Badlapur, the Nilaje-Kopar double chord line, the Naigaon-Juichandra chord line and Airoli-Kalyan elevated corridor.
“On completion of these projects, the capacity of Mumbai’s lifeline will increase, more trains can be run and overall commuting experience will improve,” Mr Vaishnaw said.
Central Railway General Manager Dharam Veer Meena and other senior officials accompanied Vaishnaw during the train journey.
Mr Vaishnaw is also visiting a Ganesh mandal in the city during the ongoing Ganesh festival, an official said.
Mr Vaishnaw had travelled by a local train between Thane and Diva stations on the Mumbai suburban rail network in February 2022 for inspection of two additional railway lines. He had eaten ‘vada pav’, a popular snack, at a roadside eatery during that visit, officials said.
