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More than 60 organisations joined hands and sat in
dharna between Borivali and Virar stations this morning
on the Western Railway to express their demand for more
trains on World Human Rights Day. The demonstrators
began gathering at stations beyond Borivali since early
morning. At 8 o’clock they stopped trains at Nalasopara.
The railway administration, expecting trouble at Mira
Road, Naigaon, Vasai and Nalasopara where commuters
claim to face maximum hardship, called for help from
the local police and CISF.
The organisations’ demands include an increase
in the number of trains plying between Churchgate and
Virar with one train at least every five minutes during
the morning and evening rush hours. They also asked
for more trains between Andheri and Virar and vice versa.
The demand for two extra lines, extensions and improvement
of facilities at remote stations, and a flyover at Naigaon
were also placed before the railway administration.
Prakash Chandra, secretary of the Democratic Youth Federation
of India (DYFI) which is leading the demonstrations,
said the situation in trains is so bad that between
12 to 16 people stand in one square metre of space.
“It is inhuman and commuters are constantly in
danger of being pushed out. In such situations, tempers
run high, causing instant quarrels,” he said.
Mumbai North Lok Sabha MP, film star Govinda, expressed
his support to the demonstrators but said that he could
not participate in the agitation. He appealed to the
organisations not to cause any discomfort to commuters.
Former railway minister and ex-MP Ram Naik said he would
be amongst the demonstrators at Vasai. “This is
an effort to awaken the chief minister and the prime
minister to appreciate the problems of commuters who
travel on trains like cattle,” Naik said.
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