Pune: Daily commuters feared overcrowding and fleecing in alternative modes of transport after the cancellation of three Pune–Mumbai intercity trains till July 17, while the MSRTC’s plan to increase buses gave them a ray of hope.Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) officials said they were closely monitoring the demand and would deploy additional buses if required. Kamlesh Dhanrale, divisional transport officer of MSRTC, Pune, said 72 e-Shivneri buses and 32 ordinary buses currently operated daily between Pune and Mumbai. “At present, the average occupancy is around 39 passengers per trip. Heavy rain disrupted trips and many people postponed their journeys. If the passenger numbers increase significantly next week, we will definitely increase the bus services,” Dhanrale said.The Central Railway on Thursday cancelled several trains, including Deccan Queen, Deccan Express and Intercity Express, until July 17 to facilitate restoration work on the landslide-hit Lonavla–Karjat ghat section. Only Pragati Express, Sinhagad Express and Indrayani Express are operating on the Pune-Mumbai route.Commuters said Indrayani Express was of little help for office-goers because of its departure from Pune in the evening. “We are left with just Pragati Express and Sinhagad Express until July 17. Both run packed every day. The real problems will be evident from Monday. The administration and the railways must be prepared with proper assistance,” Kasba Peth resident Anand Chaugule, who travels daily to Mumbai for work, told TOI.Anand Saptarshi, a member of the Divisional Railway Users’ Consultative Committee (DRUCC), said nearly 40,000-45,000 passengers travelled daily on Pune–Mumbai intercity trains. “We are in touch with Pune railway officials and have requested them to expedite the line restoration work, while exploring alternative arrangements in coordination with other government agencies for affected commuters,” he said.Apart from the rush, the financial burden is another concern of daily commuters. Dhole Patil Road’s Prabal Joshi, a daily Deccan Queen commuter, said CSMT–Solapur Vande Bharat Express was not a practical option because of its higher fares.“I have a first-class monthly pass for Deccan Queen. It costs Rs3,360. Travelling to work next week will be difficult. Even if I take an MSRTC bus for Rs337 or a Shivneri bus for Rs614, I shall incur extra expenses. Shared cab fares have increased after the rise in fuel prices. There should be a mechanism to compensate passengers for these additional costs. Can the railways guarantee the cancelled trains will resume on July 18?” he said.Shivajinagar’s Ashish Kawra had booked six Vistadome tickets on Deccan Queen for his visiting relatives from Delhi. He is equally disappointed. “We spent over Rs6,000 to experience the ghat section. Now the trip has been cancelled. I hope the refund is processed quickly,” he said.Hemant Kumar Behera, public relations officer of the Pune railway division, clarified that passengers who booked tickets at reservation counters must go there to cancel tickets and claim refunds. “There will be automatic refunds for online tickets once the train is officially cancelled,” he said.
