Mumbaichi Life Line.

Mumbaichi Life Line...

Commutation has become the most Important Activity of our Daily Lives. Globalization has made World a Smaller Place to Live in. However in India still there are very limited options for Inter city travel. Airways are out of reach for a common man. In Mumbai, there will hardly be any1 who has never been thru a Local Train Compartment. Ordinary Mumbai Worker, who stays in outer skirts, spends almost a complete day from a 6 day working week in a local Compartment, Let me Explain how.... Badlapur to Borivali takes 2 hours a journey, hence around 4 hours a day, most offices work 6 days a week, hence it becomes 24 hours a week, which equals 1 complete day.... Hence Local Compartment has become a kind of family group to many.

During my school days, I used to go up to Byculla where my grandpa was admitted in JJ Hospital; I daily traveled by 2.35PM Fast from Ulhasnagar. Being a kid and not so mature, I wasn’t familiar with Railways, I had an impression that Either Ropes on the train Roof makes it Run across stations, or the tracks down are moving like an elevator. He he he... Also I was of the opinion that Train @CST or @Ambernath takes the U-turn to come back, I dint know Train can move in both ways like a worm does. All this happened until I happen to see CST Railway Station. I still remember those days, when me & my Dad used to board train from Byculla, my Dad somehow pushed me up to the Window, so that I don’t get pissed off in ocean of people. I being bit smart, if any1 gets up from window, I used to absorb the place immediately & call My Dad there. I still remember about CST, when me & my Dad dint board the Karjat Fast train @ 7.30PM, only coz there was no place to sit & I wanted to sit desperately on an Window.

It’s almost 7 yrs now I am a daily Local Train traveler, I have seen a lot. During ma college days, I use to curse small stations why those useless stations exist, as they weren’t useful to me. Today, there is hardly any Station anymore which is not crowded or is meaningless, I doubt if there is any Station left on Central Railway where I haven’t got down in last 7 years due to some or other Reason.

Speak of any Odd Time 6:34, 7:07, 8:33, 8:55, it mean a lot to local train passenger as some or other train starts at that time. In India We can expect train delayed by Minutes and sometime by hours too. But trains Running Before Time can leave you stranded for hours…… Most people even drop to go to Loo to catch the train, and suddenly train running late leaves a weird expression on thy face.

I never thought of train as a Social Network, but Today it has been so. I had been part of few groups in different trains at different times. I enter those groups by catching same compartment at same time daily, so people nearby each other become familiar and somehow communication and relationship build. The Social Network beings... Business, Trips, Picnics, Family bonding, Even marriages too happens… Biggest benefit of being into Group, you get the seat half way up to your destination. Or even you get the seat, as you board into train. Gents compartment almost share this maturity, after half the way the seat is given to other, while in Ladies the destination is asked and then the seat is booked.

I still remember the excitement amongst people when the new Purple-white Trains were introduced by MRVC; those trains initially acted as new Bride to a common man. Many people were desperate to catch only those trains, as they had good ventilation. But now those have become the common ones with Brownish in color due to Pan Spits, Useless advertisements, Poor maintenance... Thanks 2 Mumbaikars...huh...

Best time pass for a train traveler is to Witness a Group Discussion happening around in the compartment. Any common Issue - Which Government will come up next? What’s the loophole in our Indian Functional Systems? Will India Improve on Population, Corruption, Government, and Infrastructure? Sport person who played Well last night from Indian Team...(GK can be improved from this - as sometime Dhoni, Raina, plays well), most interesting part is even those people participate who have come in that compartment for the first time... PEOPLE SPEAK BECOZ THEY WANNA EXPRESS, THEY WANNA BE HEARD, I simply enjoy listening, and often the scene ends with Laughs, Abuses, and sometimes Tears...

I salute Motormen for their presence for 24/7. I am proud and very happy that railways even work on weekends and holidays. Many people lives in Mumbai from hands to mouth, who survive only coz Railways work - coolies, Station Side Hawkers, Local Train vendors, etc. I have experienced worse in Railways, I have seen heart attacks due to heavy crowd, have seen suicides, have seen Body in pieces due to railway crossing. I wonder whom to blame to - Population, Ruthless Motormen, Person who willingly took the risk to cross the track, even when its warned and against law. Since then, Yes I fear Death.

Even the most Precious Moment of Life is celebrated in local compartment - New Baby's Birth, Marriage Anniversary, New job, etc. are celebrated with Sweets, Samosas, Vada Pavs which are favourites for all on such occasions. Train Compartment look like a New Bride during the Dasheraas. Many Groups decorate the compartment with all the colorful ribbons, flashy stripes and with Goddess wallpapers everywhere and even sing the Aarti then. I enjoy this part the most....

Most amazing part of Local compartment is a Door and a Window… Not only children are desperate for window, most people are, So AM I J … Window doesn’t just serve the purpose of letting u with a cool breeze, it allows you to see the beauty alongside railway tracks, greenery, high sky-scrappers, mountains, parallel slow/fast train running along with, etc. I like the most when a Fast Train crosses any intermediate station, running with almost 70-80km/hr and almost giving like a tease to that station. Every1 is mad about getting seat in compartment when the train is crowded, but u will find most seats vacant when the train is empty actually, all die for getting on the door then.

I see Life as a very precious gift made to us by The Creator. I see all the roles in a Local Compartment which I can’t see outside it, Young giving away seats to old aged people - HUMANITY, Fights between two due to Small Push - ANGER, Way one board into the crowdiest local – AGGRESSIVENESS to get in. I wonder what will happen without Railways and Local Trains. I do question Infrastructure development over railways, but still I love with what we have. I recommend Maintenance and Monitoring needs more Attention and Investment then new Implementation. However cleanliness, GRP & Travel Law also needs to be tightened.

There’s too much to talk about Mumbai Life Line, but experience can never be put on Paper. - It’s truly a Life line, I love it…