The power switch, however, caused inconvenience to commuters as the train services were thrown out of gear for six hours. Only special trains ran at hourly intervals, putting the commuters in trouble as autos and cabbies refused to ply and were overcharging.
The extra buses plied by the BEST fell woefully short as commuters moved to road public transport. Many who wanted to be a part of the Eid procession ended up confused as there were no local trains and could not reach their destinations on time.
The block that started at 10:30am finished earlier at 3:45pm as 800 workers put in efforts to finish work ahead of scheduled time. The first retrofitted Alternating Current train ran from Andheri station to Churchgate after the block was over. Railway officials tried to replicate the 1928 function by having a function at Mahalaxmi and Andheri, between which WR’s first electric train had run.
“Nothing can replace railway commute in Mumbai and we did our best to help commuters. The crowd was less today as compared to everyday because of wide publicity given to the event. Many people did not step out of their homes. The railways ran special double decker trains to ease pressure. But this shift was essential for the long run. Trains will now not just be faster, but will also save power,’’ a WR spokesperson said.
Commuters were fleeced by automen and cabbies. Sarika Jhalse, a TYBCom student, said, “I could not find a cab for Byculla and I was forced to share a cab with a few people till Dadar.’’
Railway officials said the changes that happened on Sunday will be of great help to Mumbaikars in the long run. “There will be less maintenance and more efficiency. One of India’s biggest power sub-station has been installed at Bandra,” another official added.
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