It was an initiative that was meant to improve commuting comfort in a city where the suburban rail transit system is jam-packed during rush hour. The inclusion of air-conditioned trains was deemed to be a panacea for the commuting woes of lakhs of commuters who travel long distances in stuffy compartments to reach Mumbai from distant parts of Mumbai Metropolitan Region.
Policy-makers, however, have been perplexed over the protests that have been sparked by the move in parts of Mumbai’s extended suburbs such as Kalwa and Badlapur. The sudden protests and the support extended to the agitators by politicians such as NCP chief Sharad Pawar have brought to the fore the angst of many lower middle class commuters who find these trains unaffordable.
