Have 72 - 96 alloy wheels...9 -12 different compartments and sections. Travel at 60 - 80 kmph. Wondering what they are? The great Mumbai local trains...
For the record, the system carries more than 6.1 million commuters on a daily basis and constitutes more than half of the total daily passenger capacity of the Indian Railways itself. It has the highest passenger density of any urban railway system in the world. And the entire economy seems to move around them!!!!
In December 2005 when I first ventured into Mumbai to work with JWT, I had dared to take on the might of the Mumbai workforce traveling by these trains, by taking a few trips from Kanjur Marg (the station closest to Powai on the central line) to Currey Road (where I need to alight for JWT). Did learn a few ropes, but by the time I could master them I moved back to Bangalore on personal reasons. Just when I was forgetting my experiences of that stint, here I was back in the city of dreams as some call it.
After much of huffing & puffing I have moved into Hiranandani Estate, Thane. Its hardly a month and am already getting tuned to having my life revolve around the local trains. Every day there is something to think about, what time to leave, which train to take, which one to board, where to stand to get in etc. A few trips and a friend of mine dubs it the best natural way to keep fit!!!! And everyday the challenge is will I get a place to sit and how early will that be.....
Today after a break the skies opened up and the great Mumbai Monsoon is on!!! Lets see what the monsoon train journeys have in store for us.....
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