Mumbai: Triggered by tardy train, commuters take to tracks at Titwala station

Commuters carry out a rail roko at Titwala station on Wednesday morning

A rail roko over delayed services disrupted the timetable of Central Railway's mainline on Wednesday. Angry commuters jumped onto tracks at Titwala after a train arrived about 10 minutes late, detaining the train.

Sources said that the CSMT-bound train was scheduled to arrive at Titwala at 8.18 am but reached at 8.30 am, spurring several commuters to jump on the track in protest as delayed services had become a regular occurrence. The railway police and Railway Protection Force seemed unprepared and were caught unawares by the agitation.

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Activist Umesh Vishe of the Kalyan-Kasara Railway Passengers' Welfare Association, who has been tweeting about delays on the Kasara line every day, has also filed a formal complaint, stating that the Delhi-Mumbai CSMT Rajdhani Express was being given priority over local trains in the morning.

A Central Railway spokesperson said that the Kasara-CSMT local arrived Titwala at 8.30 am due to some technical reason. The public was agitated and not allowing the train to move. After discussions with railway staff, the train departed at 8.51 am from Titwala. "We will find the reason for the delay. But agitations like this are not the way. It inconveniences other passengers," he added.