Central Railway and Western Railway together ferry over 7.5 million commuters daily in a feat which is unparalleled in the world. Mumbai, which is geographically linear, is expanding northwards since most people cannot afford to buy homes even in the extended suburbs. Vasai, Virar, Nalasopara, Kalwa, Mumbra, Vasind, Badlapur etc are the kind of places where Mumbaikars can think of buying apartments and that too with bank loans. And the only means of travel to their places of work in the city is the suburban train system. The railways have added several trains and provided amenities at many stations under an upgradation programme. But now they appear to have reached the saturation point. A report on the "Rising trend of accidental death in Mumbai suburban system" talks of an 'explosive situation' in 2030. But that situation has already arrived.

© Free Press Journal