Thane: The long-pending issue of inadequate suburban rail services beyond Thane has resurfaced, with commuter groups alleging that repeated assurances by the Central Railway have failed to translate into tangible improvements.Representatives of passenger organisations from Diva, Kalwa and the Kalyan-Kasara belt, who separately met railway officials this week, complaining how lakhs of daily commuters continued to grapple with chronic overcrowding, inadequate train services and poor connectivity despite persistent demands for capacity augmentation.Admitting that the railway was the only affordable and reliable mode of transport for commuters of extended Thane suburbs, the groups said key commitments—including additional services and more 15-car locals—remain unfulfilled. Instead, they alleged that several general services were converted into AC locals on routes with limited demand, reducing carrying capacity.“Diva station has witnessed a sharp rise in passenger traffic, but connectivity has not matched pace. Our demand for more Diva-originating locals remains ignored. The few fast trains that halt here are already packed by the time they arrive. We have now sought halts for six fast locals originating from Dombivli and Kalyan during morning peak hours,” said Shiv Sena Thane corporator and railway activist Adesh Bhagat.Kalwa commuters renewed their demand for originating local trains. “Boarding a train at Kalwa has become a daily gamble. Commuters are left stranded or forced to travel in dangerously overcrowded trains. We have also sought early implementation of the Kalwa-Airoli elevated rail corridor and start Kalwa locals,” said Siddhesh Desai of the Mumbai Rail Pravasi Sangh.The Kalyan-Kasara-Karjat Rail Passengers’ Association also demanded that AC locals operating beyond Kalyan be restored as regular services. “The higher fares make AC locals unaffordable for most commuters while reducing carrying capacity,” said Rajesh Ghanghav.Shiv Sena MP Naresh Mhaske who had taken a review of the facilities recently said the issue has been escalated to the senior railway administration who have assured remedial action.
