One of the air-conditioned rakes in the Central Railway fleet has encountered a technical failure, leading to the cancellation of air-conditioned suburban trains due to the lack of additional rakes. As a result, about 10 trips of AC local trains have been cancelled, causing significant inconvenience to passengers. Despite purchasing expensive AC local tickets, passengers are being forced to travel in regular local trains, prompting demands for refunds for the days the AC trains are not operational.
AC local fares are significantly higher compared to first and second-class tickets on general local trains. Passengers have expressed frustration, as non-AC trains are being operated during scheduled AC train slots. Despite paying a premium for tickets or passes, commuters are left to travel in ordinary local trains.
While passengers did not initially demand AC locals, the railways introduced them, and ridership gradually increased. Now, the responsibility lies with Central Railway to ensure smooth service for AC local passengers. Nand Kumar Deshmukh, President of the Suburban Railway Passenger Association, voiced his opinion that if the railways are unable to operate AC local trains consistently, these services should be completely withdrawn from main routes like Harbour and Trans Harbour.
In recent days, AC local trains have been frequently cancelled, sparking numerous complaints from passengers. Despite this, the railway administration continues to cancel these services. Subhash Gupta of Rail Yatri Parishad emphasised the need to refund money to AC local pass holders and increase the availability of AC rakes to meet the growing demand.
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