Feels different, but much safer, say commuters on train services

There was none of the chaos and thundering of a thousand feet on the platforms, when Mumbai’s local trains restarted operations on Monday. There was something like the usual chaos outside the railway stations, though.

People with e-passes that let them drive around during the lockdown, thought they could finally hop on a train and go to their workshop / cousin’s house / check on their business (they couldn’t). Others with bank employee IDs headed there hoping to finally cut commute times. They weren’t allowed in either.

While communication had been sketchy, security was airtight. You only got as far as a booking counter if you had a special railway e-pass or an ID that identified you as a specific kind of essential worker — state or civic employee; doctor, hospital or BEST staff; police personnel.

On the platforms, it was another world. There was an eerie silence as everyone waited, masked and gloved, in ones. Then filed in quietly and were guided through the new seating norms — one person per berth; no more than 700 on a 12-car rake that usually carried over 5,000.

Those leaving the station after a train ride were still elated. “I got on a train after three months and I’ve never experienced anything like this, but what a relief,” said Vaibhav Wadenkar, 29, a health department employee who lives in Andheri and works at Virar. “I’ve been taking buses all these days. The train has saved me one hour today already.”

Shivaji Sade, 50, who lives at Amboli and works at Nair hospital in Mumbai Central, said the commute felt safer too. “There’s more distance between people here than on the buses. The compartments have been cleaned, railway staff are checking your temperature and ID. I felt safe.”

For some, the whole thing felt more surreal than they’d expected. “The route is the same, the trains are the same, but everything felt different,” said Dr Virendra Yadav, 28, a general practitioner headed from his clinic in Dahisar to his home in Jogeshwari. “I hope they keep the numbers like this though. Because if the crowd grows, the risk of the virus spreading is too frightening to think about.”

The constables stationed at every railway station would agree. Even with Monday’s stringent rules, the numbers took some handling. “People are constantly coming to us and asking whether they can take a train, when they can take a train. A lot of bank employees were insisting they be allowed in. But we have our orders and our lists. We hope things will be clearer in the future,” said a policeman who’d been on duty since 5.30 am, outside Andheri station.